


Crowfeather

by TheUnkindledQueen



Category: Bloodborne (Video Game)
Genre: Beast AU, Character Death, F/F, Heavy Angst, adella isn't as crazy in this as she is in the game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 19:27:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 54,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20314765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUnkindledQueen/pseuds/TheUnkindledQueen
Summary: They journey on the Hunt, seeking those who have strayed from their path, all the while seeking the "Bloody Crow". And now, a little nun is in their company, one with a fascination for an old Hunter like Eileen. Though she doesn't realize the demons the Hunter carries.





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> "We could mate. In a year our nestlings would be large enough to mob anyone we like...Should I begin to court you? Do you like grubs or ants better?...I will be here. In case you change your mind about mating."
> 
> \- Tamora Pierce, Trickster's Choice
> 
> "Every flight begins with a fall."
> 
> \- George R.R. Martin

~O~

The sounds of coughing filled the air from the little home.

Eileen hadn't made a point to communicate with the man behind the window any further. She never saw his face, but he often told of stories regarding the way of his illness and the spread of the unknown plague.

She was not interested in such things. All that mattered were their targets. Hers and Henryk's. Journeying through the ruined village was a perilous one. But most of the citizens seemed to avoid them. It was something of a familiar sight. Some people chose to distrust the Hunters. Others revered them. Such was not the case here.

They were mad wretches. But they were wholly disinterested in the wandering Hunters. Perhaps that was for the best. They did not need to contend with the citizens any more than they had to.

"Do you hear the murmurs?" the figure behind the window asked.

Eileen didn't speak.

Henryk had chosen to search the village for signs of life, but the people had boarded themselves inside. No one dared speak to the Hunters. There was a certain lack of trust and fear of contamination from them.

"They do not speak," Henryk told her, "I don't think who we find is here."

"Yes." Eileen replied. "If he had been here, they would most likely be dead."

Henryk bent down, rubbing his hand across scratched earth near his boots. They looked like claw scratches left behind from a Beast.

"This village isn't empty of Beasts." he said, straightening. "He's losing his touch."

Eileen shook her head calmly, taking a deep breath. "We can't blame him for this. He's been contending with his illness for some time."

"It was only a matter of time..."

"Yes."

A thick, watery snarl filled the air and the two Hunters looked up, spotting a cloaked, hunched Beast crawling out of an abandoned house. Its red eyes glittered brightly, jaws sticky with saliva and blood.

Eileen drew out her pistol and Henryk retracted his ax. The creature's visage was hidden by the scrap of cloth that covered its face, but the bright glint of sharp teeth could still be seen.

"Stay close," Eileen said.

"Understood." Henryk acknowledged.

The creature tossed its head, letting out a terrible, unholy screech. Nearby, several cloaked Beasts - hidden or asleep in corners, barrels and walls - reacted to the call. The Beasts gathered around and they were considerably smaller than the one who had called for them.

Eileen and Henryk moved forward, weapons firing and blades cutting through flesh. The larger cloaked Beast screeched and called for more, but each one was cut down by their weapons.

Flawless, simple.

The Hunters had danced to this song time and time again; to the melody of blood spraying, Beasts screaming and blades cutting into flesh. It was a constant symphony, a melody of death and blood.

Once the Beasts were cut down, Eileen wiped her weapon clean and sheathed it. Henryk did the same.

"It's a pity, you know." he said. "How they cannot hope to be human again."

Eileen said nothing.

It was true. What a fate; a pitiful, sorry fate.

O

The little town was a familiar sight. It was once a place where Henryk, Eileen and their former comrade had passed during nights of the Hunt. But he was not here and all that remained were the two Hunters.

That and the Hags.

There was a faint giggle, oozing with madness and hunger.

Eileen turned, noticing a woman crouched in the puddle of water. She had bloody bandages wrapped around her face, over her eyes and crossing across her filthy cheeks. She grinned, showing rows of missing teeth.

"Are you there?" she said in a thickly accented voice; the horrid giggling that escaped her was mixed with various hiccups and grunts.

Eileen continued on.

"Where's my baby?" the woman begged, still laughing madly.

Henryk exhaled. "Poor fools. What sort of fate were they left to?"

Eileen stared in the distance, toward a mansion on the hillside that overlooked the graveyards and small huts of the inhabitants of this place. In the distance was Hemwick Charnel Lane. A witch was rumored to be chief of the town, the Old Witch. One who was believed to perform gruesome rituals at night.

Eileen and Henryk saw no threat to the witch as she never posed a problem for them. They kept to their mission and she kept to herself. There would come a time when the Old Witch was sure to meet her fate, but that time was not now.

"My baby." the woman moaned, despairing. But her sorrowful sounds continued to transform into hideous cackles of madness.

Eileen wasn't unfamiliar with the insanity and the Blood Sickness of what people endured at the fault of the Healing Church. Others received their afflictions by other means. More invasive...

There was a nest of crows nearby, huddled together. When Eileen approached, they turned to her, uttering loud chirps. Eileen's stare through her mask seemed to make the animals hush to silence.

When she walked passed them, the birds huddled away from her. She thought nothing of it, really. Such was the way of animals and Beasts when she drew too near. Perhaps they sensed her cruel fate.

Henryk could see Yharnam in the distance. The city's lights casting an eerie glow through the foggy wood.

The city was silent when the Hunters arrived, save for the soft, distant moans and the snarls of dogs. Eileen and Henryk had their weapons drawn, at the ready if need be.

"Hm, perhaps there's someone who can offer us help." Eileen said.

She stopped at a window, noticing the incense.

There was someone on the other side, coughing violently. A man.

"Oh..." he said, coughing a few more times, "you must be a Hunter, and not one from around here either." Another violent, wet cough. "I'm Gilbert, a fellow outsider. You must have had a fine time of it. Yarnham has a special way of treating guests. I don't think I can stand if I wanted to, but I'm willing to help, if there's anything that can be done."

"We're looking for someone." Eileen said. "A man. He will be wearing the robes of the Church."

Gilbert coughed. "Walk closer to the window then."

Eileen leaned forward and she could see an eye looking back at her. But the window was terribly fogged.

"Mm, yes. I've seen someone pass through here. But they wore the robes you wear." he told her. "Not much for words, but he passed quickly."

Eileen and Henryk looked at each other briefly.

_The feathered garb..._

The window opened and a bandaged arm reached out, clutching a Flamesprayer. It was a particularly useful tool made by the church. "Here. Take this. I made no use of it, but perhaps you…" A terrible cough followed. "...can find some better use for it than me."

Henryk took the offering when Eileen passed it to him. It was a tool of the Healing Church. Gilbert must have been a Hunter himself. Given his terrible cough, he was of no use to them as far as fighting was concerned. Maybe the affliction had begun to work itself through him. He was no doubt going to succumb to the Beastly Scourge and end up as the rest.

"This town is cursed. Whatever your reasons might be you should plan a swift exit." Gilbert advised. "Whatever can be gained from this place, it will do more harm than good."

"We can carry on with little difficulty," Eileen told him. "Now then, have you seen a man in Church Robes pass through recently?"

Gilbert was silent for a moment as he contemplated the question. "You must be speaking of Father Gascoigne. Yes. He's on the Hunt as we speak. He made his way toward Oedon Chapel. I do not know what became of him between."

"Thank you." Eileen said.

The two Hunters departed and Henryk looked at Eileen after a moment. Something else seemed to bother him. "Should we speak to Viola and the children?" he asked her. "They would surely want to know what we're going to do."

Eileen was silent. Her mask made it difficult to determine what expression she had on her face. "If it comes to what we believe it always would, we do what we must. They will understand in time."

"...Yes, of course." Henryk's voice was laced with sadness.

They wandered further into the quiet city, approaching the familiar window of the family they would soon break the terrible news to. Eileen looked at Henryk and gestured with a flick of her head.

Henryk tapped on the glass of the window and a small, frightened voice piped up. One of Viola's daughters.

"Who... are you?" she asked, terrified.

"It's us." Henryk told her, soothingly. "We're looking for your father."

The girl's voice filled with delight at the mention of her father. "Ah! Yes, I knew I remembered your smell. But it's been so long since you've visited. Mum and daddy missed you too..."

Henryk looked at Eileen, but the other Hunter flicked her masked head away.

"Daddy never came back from the hunt, and she went to find him, but now she's gone, too... I'm all alone... and scared..."

Henryk nodded. "We'll find them for you."

The girl behind the window made a sound of relief. "Really? Oh, thank you!" she said. "Do you remember? My m-mum wears a red jeweled brooch. It's so big and...and beautiful. You won't miss it."

Henryk chuckled and straightened. "I don't imagine we would miss such a thing."

They turned to go, but the girl's voice halted them.

"Oh, I mustn't forget. If you find my mum, give her this music box."

The window opened and a small hand holding a tiny music box appeared. Henryk took the offering and placed it into a satchel by his side.

"It plays one of daddy's favorite songs. And when daddy forgets us we play it for him so he remembers." the girl replied. She gave a weak laugh. "Mum's so silly, running off without it!"

"I'll be sure that she gets it." Henryk assured her.

Then, they departed, and the sounds of Beasts in the distance chilled their bones.

This was going to be quite the Hunt.

O

There was a strange sense that something watched them.

Eileen cast her stare toward the spires, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. Henryk had been making his way up the steps.

"Eileen?" he said.

"Do you hear that?" Eileen asked.

Henryk tilted his head to hear, but there was nothing that he caught. Nothing but the distant winds, the howls of dogs and the chatter of people inside. Nothing that could be considered a true threat to them.

But Eileen always had good instincts, and he was a fool if he chose not to listen.

"What do you hear?" Henryk asked her.

"Someone's crying."

Eileen made her way toward a building and slowly pried the door open with one hand - she was surprised that it was unlocked, but that usually meant nothing good would come afterwards. Clutching her pistol tightly, she crept her way inside. The room was dark, poorly lit by the moonlight through the cracks in the boarded up windows. The former occupants must have tried to keep the Beasts out in a hurry.

Eileen moved the door open and knocked heel of her foot into the floor. The sound would surely alert anything lurking inside.

But nothing came, so she flicked her head at Henryk and the other Hunter followed her into the building.

"Oh, merciful gods, help me..." a frightened woman's voice filled the air from another room. She was human, that much was certain. "In the name of the Healing Church, cleanse us of this horrible dream..."

Eileen and Henryk entered the room, finding a woman kneeling in the corner, wearing the black robes of the Healing Church, as well as the black hat shielding her face. It was custom attire. She was holding her head in both hands, shuddering with a frightened moan. It was difficult to tell if she was caught in the throes of madness or just utterly terrified.

When she sensed the presence of the Hunters, she gave a startled gasp and looked up. But seeing that they were no enemy, a relieved smile broke out across her face. She had black, braided hair and amber eyes.

She was sane.

"Ah! You've come to save me!" she exclaimed.

Henryk helped her stand by taking her hand. "Who are you?"

"I'm...Sister Adella." she said. She bowed her head once in respect to the two Hunters. "Thank you, dear saints! I have no words to express my relief..."

"You are alone, I assume." Eileen said.

Adella nodded once. She looked around and her features fell with sadness. Clearly she had lost someone dear to her, given her reaction. Eileen was well familiar with such a look. "Oh yes. There were others, but they've been taken away."

"We should go." Henryk told the two. "The nun could accompany us for now."

"She will slow us down." Eileen replied, with a gruff sound.

Adella withered a little at Eileen's words, but shook her head and clasped her hands together. "I assure you, I will attempt to keep myself out of the way, kind Hunters. But...if you will be of need of it, my blood will suffice on your Hunt."

"You're a Blood Saint." Henryk said, matter-of-factly.

"I am. I was groomed as such before I arrived here." Adella explained. She seemed rather timid, but proud of her status all the same. "I could be of use, though my blood is lowly."

"Very well." Eileen replied, "Come along, then. Keep up with us."

Adella smiled, quite honored. She followed the two Hunters from the building.

O

The wood-carved mask of Eileen the Crow fascinated Adella as she had no experience with such a thing. Upon explaining it to her - with far more patience than she had previously displayed - Eileen had informed the nun that the beak contained incense to mask scents of blood and Beast. It was particularly useful for her in her Hunt, as she made it seem.

Eileen the Crow. Adella had never heard of her, but she was clearly a Hunter of immense skill. So was Henryk given how easily they dispatched those in their way. Both had clearly come from a distant land, given their accents and their peculiar ways. They were both here to help her and she would be foolish not to offer any aid. Her lowly blood was all that she could give, but the treatment of blood was useful in this Hunt.

She was curious by Eileen's sword; it split into two when activated. According to her, the weapons blades had been forged with siderite, a rare mineral of the heavens. Such a fascinating thing it was.

Henryk himself was older as well; he had wrinkles around his eyes, darker skin, thin beard and receding hair. She only took notice to it when he removed his hat to dab the top of his head with a cloth.

"Hunters, if you don't mind my asking..." Adella began, hesitantly; she had hoped to strike up conversation along their journey. "Who do you look for?"

Eileen glanced down at her briefly. "We seek an old Hunter. Gascoigne. You heard of him?"

Adella's features lit up with realization at the mention of the name. "Yes. I have seen him on his Hunt, but..." She hesitated and spoke her next words carefully. "He frightened me."

Eileen and Henryk paused in their steps. They had almost made it toward the Tomb of Oedon, but Adella's words halted them.

"What do you mean?" Eileen asked.

"Well, the streets were obviously rather perilous for me, so I sought refuge in that building where you found me. The man you called Gascoigne passed by, and I heard him snarling like one of the Beasts. I feared the worst." Adella explained, "I did not make a single sound. I'm sorry. I was fearful for my life. I thought...he would come for me. He smelled...like one of them."

Eileen and Henryk looked at each other.

"He's been living with his sickness for some time," Eileen explained, her voice even as she turned to go, "We were searching for him."

Adella nodded. "I understand..."

The three made their way toward the Tomb of Oedon. The air suddenly seemed colder here; there was an unsettling feeling that crossed the trio, as if something lurked for them. Adella looked around, shocked to see several crazed citizens of Yharnam littered about like broken dolls, their blood sprayed across the tombstones. The smell was absolutely foul; it was the strong scent of Beast and blood.

Eileen looked around before she spotted Viola lying on the rooftops in a pool of her own blood. She quickly rushed over.

"Viola!"

Dropping her blades, she knelt down, scooping up the woman into her arms.

Adella walked over slowly, worried by the sight and of the one who had harmed her being possibly nearby. Her eyes wandered cautiously around them. Henryk was talking to Eileen and it seemed like Viola was barely alive.

She had been viciously sliced through the abdomen by an ax. But somehow, Viola was still alive, her body shuddering in pain. Her eyes wandered about before she focused on Eileen.

"I...I'm sorry. I tried to..." Viola sputtered, blood gushing from her mouth in rivers.

"Hush." Eileen said, gently. "Don't talk. You'll make it worse."

Viola hissed through her teeth. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she shut her eyes tightly, shuddering in pain before she managed to find the strength to talk again. "I tried... I really tried, Eileen..."

Eileen was oddly quiet, her hold on the other woman tightening. Henryk looked at her and shook his head, a silent gesture that she could not be saved. Eileen sighed and looked down at Viola.

"I'm sorry I could be here sooner..." she told the woman.

Viola smiled, the faint light in her eyes dimming. "It's okay. I don't blame you for this."

"Where is he? Where is your husband?" Eileen asked.

Viola looked beyond her and raised one blood-soaked finger. The others turned, finding Father Gascoigne leaning against the wall; dressed in the garb of the Church, soaked in the blood of his wife and that of Beast's. His hair was sticking to his bandaged eyes, and his mouth opened, revealing elongated canine teeth. He looked absolutely frightening, swaying a little back and forth.

"Beasts... I knew it..." he snarled, his voice thickly labored.

"Gascoigne." Henryk said, standing and drawing his ax. He approached the other man, taking his head in one hand. His voice was filled with rage and grief. "Don't hurt your family! Don't ever hurt your family!"

It was hard to tell if Father Gascoigne even looked at him.

Then, a wicked chuckle escaped his lips, dry and rasping. It was like the sound of bone. "What's that smell?" he hissed, with a mad laugh. His nostrils flared as he took a long, deep inhale. "The sweet blood, oh, it sings to me!"

Henryk backed away from him and Eileen properly folded Viola's hands over her chest before she stood up, retrieving her blades. There was nothing left of the man they once knew. His humanity was barely tethered by a thread.

"I can't...I can't..." Father Gascoigne doubled over, giving a howl of fury and rage.

Adella backed away, eyes wide in horror as his body violently shook violently. His bones made sick, wet popping sounds and his arms bulged, hands forming into terrible claws. The boots he wore burst into tatters as his feet elongated.

Eileen and Henryk stood at the ready, just as he charged with a primal howl.

O

Father Gascoigne, Eileen and Henryk were locked in combat, all the while Adella said a prayer for the fallen woman, Viola. The sounds of fighting behind her were terrible, but she did her best to ignore them as she bid the deceased a final farewell to the next life. She spotted the music box lying on the floor. It looked like it was engraved with her name and the name of her husband.

Adella looked up now with a gasp, finding Eileen on Father Gascoigne's back with her sword held at his throat. He jerked and snarled, spitting with wrath in an effort to dislodge her. He was wild, blood-drunk and fierce in his movements.

"We're not your enemies, Gascoigne!" Eileen shouted.

He gave a thunderous roar, tossing her from him. Adella watched in horror as the Hunter was sent flying into a tombstone. The stone cracked from the force and fell to pieces, Eileen letting out a groan before going still. Henryk charged, but Father Gascoigne swung his claws into him, sending him flying back like a rag doll.

Adella quickly wound up the music box.

Father Gascoigne moved, raised his fists high over his head; he intended to smash the Hunter to mushy pulp. But he stopped then at the sound of the music that began to play; a Lullaby that he had once played for his children. The transformed man snorted, turning toward the direction of the nun.

_"Daddy! Daddy, listen! It's your favorite."_

_"I know, my darling. I remember now..."_

Gascoigne's feral scowl relaxed somewhat and he tilted his head with a snarl. Adella held the music box close to her chest, watching the transformed man with fright. But it seemed to work because he no longer focused attention on Eileen, but instead to the music that was playing.

Eileen regained her senses, awakening to the sounds of the music box lullaby she had come to familiarize herself with. She looked over, spotting the nun holding the box, backing away slowly as Father Gascoigne advanced.

"Adella!" she shouted. "What are you doing, you fool?"

Then, the creature suddenly stopped, clutching his head with a scream that seemed horridly mixed with Beast and human.

Henryk moved into the scene moments before Adella would be attacked; he jumped onto the creature's back, and then brought his ax down with a mighty swing, burying it deep into Father Gascoigne's head. The screams were abruptly silenced; followed by the wet, sticky sound of flesh being broken.

A dying gurgle escaped the creature's jaws and he pitched forward, collapsing to the ground in a pile of blood and sticky fur.

Adella eventually approached the corpse. She still held the music box close in her hands.

"Good work," Henryk told the nun.

"Good work?" Eileen sounded dumbfounded. "The silly girl could have been killed."

Henryk looked at her now. "The music worked for the moment. It distracted him long enough for me to bring him down. She should be congratulated, not condemned." he reminded her.

Eileen sighed, but nodded once. She seemed to agree with that and Adella managed a weak smile in response. When Eileen held out her hand for the music box, the nun placed it into her palm.

"I'm sorry about your friend," Adella told them, looking toward Viola. "And for Father Gascoigne. It seems that we have all lost those we love dearly to this Hunt."

Eileen did not reply. She simply stared down at Viola in silence.

"The children..." Henryk said.

"We tell them the truth." Eileen replied, her voice quieter. "They will be safe in the Chapel. We take them there."

She retrieved the red brooch that Viola had been wearing and held it close. Adella caught the gesture, but spoke no words. There was more to it than she knew was being said, but it wasn't appropriate to ask.

O

The two daughters were led into the Chapel; they had taken Eileen's hands. The youngest daughter was holding the brooch tightly to her chest. Tears were pouring down her eyes. Eileen noticed this and bent down.

"Now, now, no more tears," she told her, "You need to be strong."

The child simply put her arms around Eileen, and the Hunter gave a startled sound, but sighed and patted her back.

"Alright then," she said.

It was rather touching to see the Hunter behaving in a maternal sense to the children, and Adella smiled at the sight.

"You're going to watch over your sister, yes?" Eileen told the elder daughter.

A nod answered her.

"Alright. Both of you will be safe here." Eileen continued. "Now, Henryk and I must go. We still have business to take care of."

"Will you be back?" the younger daughter asked.

Eileen hesitated. "I may."

Nothing was ever certain in the Hunt. But she had to give the little ones some hope. They had just lost their parents today. Perhaps after her work was done, she could return to them.

Adella seemed to be thinking about what she witnessed. But she spoke no words. It was not proper to do so.

Upon departing, the two Hunters left Adella at the Chapel, thinking she would remain as well as she sought safe haven all the same. They walked along the path of the forest and Henryk eventually leaned down to the woman, whispering quietly.

"She's been following us." he told her.

"I know. I've known for a while." Eileen replied.

They eventually stopped and Eileen looked toward a tree.

"Come out of there," she ordered, "I know you're following us."

It took a few moments before Adella appeared from behind the tree. She looked embarrassed and fidgeted with her hands.

"Forgive me," she said, "I...didn't mean to be such a bother."

"What are you still doing here?" Eileen asked, her voice edged with annoyance, "I told you to stay in the Chapel. Enough lingering about, turn and go back."

Adella toyed with her hands a little more. "I'm sorry. I just...feel I could be of better use to you Hunters if I were to accompany you." she said, "I understand that I would not serve a better purpose behind closed doors. But...I also seek a friend of mine. She was lost some time ago."

Henryk looked at Eileen. "Having a Blood Saint accompany us could be of use." he pointed out.

"We have no time to tend to a young nun," Eileen argued, just as quietly. "She will simply get in our way."

"Perhaps you're right..." Henryk agreed.

Adella lowered her eyes. "F-Forgive me. I should return to the Chapel if that is your wish. I don't want to be a bother."

She turned to go, but Eileen's voice halted her. "Wait."

Adella paused.

"You may accompany us, but know this," Eileen warned, "We do not stop for you. We do not wait for you. What you choose to do is of your own volition. But do not waste my time and Henryk's. Understood?"

Adella smiled and nodded. "Y-Yes, of course!" she said, delighted with the decision. "I won't trouble you at all!"

Eileen stared at her for a moment before nodding once.

"A Blood Saint would serve a purpose, perhaps." she finally replied.

Adella brightened and followed the two Hunters.

She felt positively honored to be accompanying them. And now hopefully, with their help, she could find her friend.

O

Eileen was toying with the music box.

Adella watched her quietly from the corner of her eye. They were sitting in an old library while Henryk hunted for something to eat outside. It was too quiet and Adella thought to add something to the conversation, if only to ease the odd air just a little.

"Forgive me, Hunter," she said, "But did you know the woman?"

Eileen looked up at her. "You mean Viola?"

"Yes. You seemed...familiar with the family." Adella said.

When Eileen continued to stare, Adella averted her eyes rather uncomfortably. She hadn't intended to be rude.

"Forgive me, Hunter. I did not mean to presume upon our companionship." she continued, "I thought that conversing a little would be helpful given our current situation."

Eileen was silent and her fingers caressed the music box in a strangely intimate gesture. "Perhaps. Yes...I was familiar with them," she replied, evenly, "I swore to care for the family should something happen to Gascoigne. And now? Now something did. I gave Viola my word that I would care for her and her children. But I've failed. She's dead because I did not carry out my duty."

Adella watched her for a moment. "You loved her."

"What?" Eileen's voice took on a strange note - it was reminiscent of a child who'd been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. Such an odd thing for such an old Hunter.

"It's...worth noticing." Adella said, nervously; she surely insulted the Hunter. "The way you looked at her when she was dying. It was...intimate."

Eileen looked up sharply now at the sound of Henryk approaching. Quite fortunate too as she did not have interest in talking of such matters with the nun.

Because of her mask, Adella could not read Eileen's expressions. She didn't know if she had offended the Hunter, but Eileen did not speak a word to her while they ate a fresh meal of fowl. And she'd chosen to eat her meal alone, away from her.

"I did not intent to offend her," Adella told Henryk, leaning toward him a little to whisper.

The other Hunter shook his head and made a face. "Eileen isn't one to discuss her personal affairs with others." he said. "Think little of her actions. She usually eats alone anyway."

Well, perhaps that was true, but Adella could sense that she had been bothered by her questions.

Once Eileen seemed finished with her meal, she approached them and sat down. They had made a little fire in a metal bucket to keep themselves warm. Adella glanced up at the masked Hunter, apprehensive. She had thought that perhaps apologizing would be good either way, regardless of whether or not Eileen was actually offended. After all, she didn't want to be intrusive on their companionship.

"I hope I did not offend you with my ignorance, Hunter." she said. "I should have known better than to presume."

Eileen didn't look up at her. She seemed intent on staring at the fire.

"Viola should have stayed home," she said, quietly, "But the woman never listened. She thought she could reason with him. I warned her it would come to this eventually. But she still wanted to try."

Henryk lowered his gaze to the fire as well. "He was a good man. Let's remember him as he once was."

"Yes." Eileen agreed.

Adella closed her hands together and began to pray for the fallen Father Gascoigne. The two Hunters near her did not argue the action. It took a few moments before Eileen stared at the music box in her hands. Then, she tossed it into the fire.

Adella reacted only the slightest with surprise, but did not speak on the act.

It was for the best, really.

O

Adella had a nightmare.

She slept alone in the little makeshift bed she had formed out of straw and cloth. The nightmare that came to her was of Beasts wrapping her up in their horrid, filthy bodies; slavering, snarling, teeth snapping. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't even scream.

_"Lost little bird!"_ the Beasts sang, in horrifying, dulcet tones. _"Lost little bird who never learned to fly!"_

Adella awoke from her horrid dream with a frightened cry. She looked around, but did not see the Hunters she had accompanied. A little worried they had left without her, the nun quickly hurried outside, but found Eileen sitting near a flock of crows.

Curious, the nun approached, spotting the Hunter kneeling down and feeding the animals scraps of bread. How unusual, but it was certainly a charming sight. A smile lit her lips.

"Now, now, don't fight." Eileen chided the birds when one of them snapped its beak at the other. "Share. Or you get nothing, you hear me?"

Adella cleared her throat and Eileen looked up at her. "Oh, you're awake."

"May I?" Adella asked.

Eileen shrugged. "If you wish."

Adella took a seat beside her. She stared at the crows as they pecked the offerings from Eileen's open palm.

"Um...where is Hunter Henryk?" Adella asked.

Eileen gestured with a tip of her head and Adella followed her gesture toward a bush where the other Hunter was in the middle of relieving himself. Adella raised her eyebrows and quickly averted her stare.

"Oh..." she said, suddenly shy.

Eileen chuckled a little at the flighty gesture. "You're a shy one. Is the Healing Church losing its nerve?"

Adella flushed a bit at the joke. Henryk approached them and the crows scattered away at a wave of Eileen's hand.

"Alright. Shall we be off?" he asked.

Adella nodded and rose. Eileen followed suit. The trio continued down the road and entered an abandoned chapel. Eileen informed Adella that they had been tracking a rogue Hunter here who had strayed from his path.

"What do you do with the Hunter?" Adella asked.

Henryk and Eileen looked at her.

"We kill them," Henryk explain to her; it was the truth and they would not lie about that, "This is our purpose. Our sole purpose. A Hunter that defects or loses touch with their mission will die by our blades."

"Like Father Gascoigne?" Adella asked.

"Yes. Like him." Eileen replied.

Adella thought about this, unable to fathom the idea that Hunters would kill one another. It just seemed unheard of to her. As she spent her time in silence thinking about it, the two Hunters made their way down into the dark tunnel.

Henryk rubbed two pieces of paper together and sparked a flame. Carrying it to a piece of wood, he lit it into a torch.

"You Hunters are certainly prepared," Adella said, smiling.

Henryk looked at her. "So, your friend..."

"Yes..." Adella sighed, lowering her eyes. "We were separated at the Cathedral Ward some time ago. I was searching for her. That was when you found me hiding away. I thought we would meet up there, but she never showed."

"Do you believe her to still be alive?" Henryk asked.

Adella hesitated now, thinking about that. Truthfully, she could not be sure. But what would she be if she didn't feel some sort of hope? She had to try and believe someone of her group was still alive. Surely the Hunt couldn't have taken them all.

"Prepare yourself for the worst," Eileen advised the nun. "Most humans are no longer alive in our travels."

Adella didn't reply to that. Eileen wasn't being rude about it. She was simply stating truth. Adella was beginning to notice how blunt the woman was.

They stopped before a set of double-doors. Wooden, singed with evidence of burning. This was the door to Old Yharnam. The smell of dead air and burning Beast flesh filled Adella's nostrils. She recoiled with a sick sound.

Henryk stepped toward a sign and read it aloud. "'Hunters not welcome here'."

He looked back at Eileen. "We've found him."

"Who?" Adella asked.

"Djura. An old Hunter." Eileen explained.

Adella looked at them worriedly. "The warning seems clear. I don't believe he will be eager to meet us."

"You particularly." Eileen told her. "The Healing Church? He clearly shows disdain for you and your ilk. Look."

She pointed at another line that clearly read, "The Healing Church abandoned us" carved on the door. Adella looked frightened by the grim message. Well, that was as clear as ever.

"Perhaps you should wait here," Eileen suggested, "We need the element of surprise on our side should he flee."

"Will he?" Adella asked.

"I don't assume he would. A Hunter - mad or otherwise - will never run from a Hunt." Eileen said. "But you understand my position."

Adella nodded her head. "Very well."

Eileen returned the nod. The two Hunters pushed the doors open and they roared loudly, sure to draw the attention of the Hunter they sought. Henryk closed his eyes with a groan of dismay and Eileen sighed.

Old Yharnam was nothing more than a ghostly city; remnants of the burned buildings nothing more than unsettling, rotting spires in the backdrop of the setting sun. Not a whisper could be heard, save for the faint chatter of what could only be Beasts in the distance.

Henryk and Eileen stepped through the doors, but a loud, male voice halted them.

"You there, Hunters! Didn't you see the warning? Turn back at once."

Henryk pointed to the tower in the distance...and the mounted Gatling Gun near the Hunter who had spoken. Djura was posted at the tower, still wearing the robes he had donned when he pledged his service to the Church.

"Old Yharnam, burned and abandoned by men, is now home only to Beasts." he called, in a bellowing voice that echoed richly through the forsaken town. "They are of no harm to those above. Turn back...or the hunter will face the hunt."

Eileen stared up at him before she took several steps forward.

Djura gave a chuckle and stepped behind the massive Gatling Gun. "You are a skilled hunter; adept, merciless, half-cut with blood as only the best hunters are. Which is why I must stop you!"

Henryk and Eileen took cover behind a pile of rubble as a hell shower of bullets rained down on them. The Hunters looked over at the sight of Adella taking cover with them. Eileen hissed fiercely.

"Adella!" she spat. "Why are you here? I told you to wait by the doors!"

"I would have, but..." Adella said, pointing.

The two looked up at the sight of a Scourge Beast stalking toward them from the doors, jaws dripping of blood and saliva. Eileen took aim and fired a round from her pistol, but the Beast jumped to the left, avoiding the shot.

"Dammit!" Eileen cursed.

Henryk looked down at a cell door. Then, he nodded to Eileen and Adella. "Stay low, quickly!" he said.

The Scourge Beast raised its haunches, a snarl ripped from its throat and it jumped; just as the Hunters dove through the cell door. Eileen reached up, seized Adella by the collar and yanked her down, moments before the Beast could bite her head clean off.

O

"It's so dark!"

"One moment." Henryk said.

Adella's frightened exclamation pierced the dark terrain of the underground city. Old Yharnam was far more vast than any of them remembered it being and a thick, unpleasant-tasting mist filled the air. Then, the faint glow of a torch lit the area they were standing in.

"What do we do now?" Adella asked.

"We go back up," Eileen said, "I'm certain there is a way to that tower."

The group wandered through the darkness, dispatching Beasts who attacked them. But as they made their way into a graveyard, they spotted a man kneeling down in prayer. He was wearing the garb of the Healing Church.

The Executioners.

The man had scruffy sandy-colored hair and long side-burns. His eyes seemed distant and he looked rather exhausted.

He noticed the Hunters and the nun, smiled and stood up.

"Ah, Hunters!" he said, in a friendly voice, "I knew it. That's precisely how I started out!"

Eileen looked down when she felt Adella suddenly move behind her. She was a little surprised by the gesture. Adella was afraid of him?

He smiled and gave a slight bow. "Oh, beg pardon, you may call me Alfred. Protege of Master Logarius, hunter of Vilebloods."

"Alfred." Henryk said. "Pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine as well." His eyes fell onto Adella and the look that crossed his face was rather...concerning. "Ah! A Blood Saint is in your company then? I'm a simple hunter, quite unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the institution. But I have heard that the holy medium of blood healing is venerated in the main cathedral. And that councilors of the old church reside in the high stratum of the Cathedral Ward."

Eileen wasn't sure what it was, but she didn't like the way Alfred looked at Adella. His pupils seemed to show evidence of collapse too, now that she got a good look at him. It was just the smallest show of succumbing to the Blood Sickness.

Alfred continued to smile. "As you know, the Healing Church is the fountainhead of blood healing. If this little nun is among you by choice, then consider her presence a great honor."

Adella tried to smile, but she still looked uneasy by his presence. Eileen was curious by this, but she wouldn't ask right now. She felt her hand close around her pistol, just in case.

"Maybe we could assist one another?" Alfred suggested. "Our prey might differ, but we are hunters, the three of us. Why not cooperate, and discuss the things we've learned?"

"It's a tempting offer, but we work alone," Eileen told him. "Excuse us."

"Very well." Alfred said. "I bid you farewell. May the good blood guide your way."

Adella looked over her shoulder as they walked away. Alfred resumed prayer, but he seemed to scratch away at his scalp in a frantic manner, hissing out a curse. A small laugh escaped him and he showed his teeth, vowing to slaughter the Vilebloods.

A part of her hoped that they would not see him again.

Meanwhile, Djura had been watching the sights below, waiting for the new arrivals to appear should they be foolish enough to do so. He would give them no chance to hurt the Beasts in his care.

He remembered their voices. How they spoke like the people.

_"A woman was raped."_

_Djura was standing there, eye widening when he heard her talk. He saw the Beast Patient sitting there across from him on the stone bridge. Her bandaged face, those sharp teeth and that sad pair of blue eyes watched him._

_His vision dimmed somewhat._

_He had a headache._

_"Did you know?" the Beast asked, studying him. "Before the Hunt, a man of the Cloth raped a woman. I saw it while I hid in the alley. He killed her then and said we did it. Who do you think they believed?"_

_Djura panted, rubbing his eyes. "A-Are you really talking?" he gasped._

_The Beast laughed quietly. "You hear me? Well, how unexpected. None of the other Hunters can. You see now that we are people, even still."_

_Djura shook his head rapidly. He fell to his knees before the Beast Patient, who watched him with a toothy smile._

_"The woman was raped. But he killed her, even when she swore silence." the Beast continued. "He killed her. Chopped her to pieces and then blamed it on Beasts. That's how it works, yes? We get blamed for everything. When my sister was cursed by the Affliction, she tried to hide it from the Church, but they burned her alive. I stayed hidden until my teeth fell out. Then my fingernails. Finally, I couldn't speak. The only sounds were my howls and roars. So I ran and hid away when they burned Old Yharnam to the ground. And still, the Hunters come."_

_"What... What must I do?" Djura asked, desperately reaching for the Beast._

_"Don't let them kill people anymore, Djura." the Beast told him._

O

A crucified creature was strung up in the chapel. Flies buzzed around its corpse and chunks of tattered flesh hung from yellowed bones. Adella stared at the dead thing; its face had been preternaturally morphed between human and Beast. The onyx claws were enormous, nearly the size of her head. Adella could imagine how well they could tear through the flesh of a poor, innocent soul. But what could have killed this creature? Was it the Executioner?

Henryk looked around at the chapel; the windows were cracked, vines ensnared the walls. It was far too quiet here.

"We must move on, we can't linger." he whispered to Eileen.

The nun raised a hand and touched the skin of the creature's arm. The two Hunters walked ahead of her. Just as she started to go, the flimsy rope that had strung up the corpse snapped and the body collapsed loudly in a pile of broken rope, wood and stone.

The sound echoed continuously through the chapel and the two Hunters stared back at Adella. Henryk's eyes were wide and Adella was sure that Eileen was probably just as furious. What followed was eerie silence before a scuttling sound filled the air.

Henryk ducked, just as a Beast Patient lunged at him with a roar. Several more began to pour from cracks in the walls, floors and ceiling.

"Adella, stay back," Eileen ordered.

The Beast Patients stalked toward them and lunged with a chorus of blood-thirsty howls. Eileen and Henryk went to work, dispatching every Beast in their path.

Henryk ducked from a swipe of claws and buried his ax into a Beast skull. Eileen's swords split into two and she carved through bellies, spilling hot blood and innards onto the floor. But with each one they killed, two more took their place. They were swarming toward the humans, snarling and drooling hungrily.

"Dear Gods...there's too many of them!" Eileen gasped.

A Beast Patient dove at her, catching her off balance. Adella picked up a bronze tealight holder and smacked the creature in the head with it, knocking it from the Hunter. It rolled across the floor with a very loud yelp.

Eileen stood up and stared at Adella, who clutched the holder close with a frightened, awkward smile.

"That wasn't necessary, but thank you." the Hunter said.

Henryk noticed a ladder nearby and gesture frantically to them. "Quickly, this way!" he shouted.

They rushed to the ladder and began to climb. Adella was the last behind them; they climbed fast to the top, the Beasts in hot pursuit. Once Eileen was at the top, she reached down to help the nun.

Adella suddenly gave a shriek and Eileen was nearly pulled down as a Beast grabbed the nun's leg, claws clutching the leather of her boots tightly. The added weight made Eileen grunt sharply.

"He's got my foot!" Adella cried.

She kicked out with her other leg, smashing the Beast in the nose several times, but it still held on to her. The wet, sticky sounds from her foot contacting its flesh were sickening. Eileen struggled to hold onto the nun's arm before she reached onto her belt and seized her pistol.

"Adella, lower your head!" she ordered.

When the nun saw her draw her weapon, she did as the Hunter asked. Eileen rested her arm across her back and shoved the pistol into the Beast's mouth. She pulled the trigger and the blast shattered the creature's head into gooey sprays of skull fragments, flesh and blood.

The grip on Adella's boot loosened and the corpse fell to the ground below, where several Beasts jumped to avoid it.

Eileen helped Adella up and they studied her boot to be certain there was no damage to her flesh. The nun removed her boot and sighed with relief when she noticed that the leather was only scratched; the Beast had not grabbed her tight enough to damage her skin and bone.

The nun wasn't really expecting Eileen to fuss over her the way she was; she seemed intent on being sure that she wasn't hurt by studying her leg in every single detail. How interesting seeing as she had been adamant about not having her slow them down.

"Well, you look fine." Eileen said. "Come on then, let's go."

Adella nodded, fitting her boot back on.

The trio came face-to-face with a metal gate and Henryk pushed it open, kicking vines aside in his path. The tower was nearby and there was a ladder. Eileen looked at Adella and spoke sternly.

"Stay here." she said.

Adella nodded.

"I mean it, Adella."

"I will."

Once satisfied with the response, the two Hunters scaled the ladder to the top of the tower. Djura was sitting not too far away, watching the city below in silence. He turned halfway toward the two Hunters.

"Is it the blood, or are you just raving mad?" he said, with a small chuckle.

"There is no honor in this, but it must be done," Eileen told him.

Djura sighed heavily. "There's nothing more horrific than a hunt. In case you've failed to realize..." he told them. "But I see that you cannot be reasoned with." At his side, he drew out his weapon; a stake driver.

"When the frail of heart join the fray...the hunter becomes the hunted!"

O

Djura held his own well against the two Hunters. Despite his old age, he still moved swiftly; dodging swings from Henryk's ax, swipes from Eileen's swords. He didn't seem particularly content with the fight.

Just sad.

"Must we always do this?" he said, kicking Eileen in the ribs. "This senseless fighting? Slaughtering of our own?"

He gave Henryk a swift smack across the face with the end of his blunderbuss, sending the other Hunter to the floor.

"Our own?" Eileen hissed.

"The things you hunt are not Beasts!" Djura spat, as if it should have been obvious, "They are people. They can be saved. Yet you fools slaughter innocent people without pause. And you dare say I have strayed from my path? Hunters protect PEOPLE."

"You're the fool." Eileen told him. "You've gone mad. And the end of my blade is the only cure for you now."

Djura chuckled. "Then come and cure me. For Hunters are the only true Beasts here."

Henryk and Eileen charged for him again.

Adella could hear the sounds of their fight below. She barely made out the sound of Eileen's shout, followed by a grunt of pain. Worried, Adella looked up, wanting to climb the ladder. She started to, hesitated and began to pace on the small wooden bridge.

"No, no, no," she stammered. "What should I do?"

She hesitated only for a few more moments before making her decision. She started climbing the ladder.

Eileen was lying on her side, holding her arm while Henryk began to undo one of her manchette's. Djura was lying in a pool of his own blood, hand draped over a terrible wound in his chest.

"I'm not as swift as I used to be..." Eileen muttered, annoyed and breathless.

"And I am?" Henryk said, laughing.

The two looked over and spotted Adella at the top of the ladder. The nun panted, collapsing onto her side once she reached the tower with them. The couldn't fathom her insanity.

"That's quite...a ladder..." she panted. "I..." Another pant. "Never wish to look at another ladder for as long as I draw breath..."

Eileen sighed, shaking her head. "Don't you ever listen to your elders?" she snapped.

Adella noticed Eileen's terrible wound and she made her way over. Henryk had removed her manchette, revealing the darker skin of her forearm and a terrible slice where Djura's stake had cut her.

"Oh, never mind. The mark is dead." Eileen sighed, with a wave of her good hand in the air She gestured with a flick of her head. "Come here, nun. Let's put your expertise to use."

Adella nodded and made her way over to her. She took Eileen's arm, studying the slice before reaching into her robes.

"It's...nothing too serious," she told the older woman. "Just a Blood treatment and I could stitch it."

Eileen stared down at the hands that touched her, then looked up at Adella.

"Good. Thank you." she said.

Adella smiled shyly. "Of course."

The three looked over when Djura suddenly coughed out a sickening stream of blood. The old Hunter groaned, breathless and weak before he focused his good eye on them. Now that she was closer, Adella could see that his face had been horribly scarred from burns.

"It's you... You're the beast..." he whispered, barely able to move his head, "Can't you see what you're doing? It's madness..."

He let out a thick, sticky chuckle before his body seized and he was still.

"Poor fool." Eileen said, with a sigh and a shake of her head. "He couldn't see things as they really were."

Adella looked at Henryk. "May I have some fire, please?" she asked.

He nodded and struck the paper in his possession, lightning another torch. Adella unraveled a rolled-up medical kit and retrieved a needle. She threaded it and brought the tip to the flame, sterilizing it properly.

Eileen watched her as she worked, but noticed the hesitation in Adella's hand. The nun glanced up at her with concern.

Eileen chuckled. "Don't worry. I'll be fine. Just do what you need to do."

Adella nodded hesitantly. "Very well."

She slipped the needle into a slice of skin and the only sounds to be heard afterwards were the squishing of flesh and Adella's breathing. Eileen didn't utter a single noise of pain and just waited for her wound to be properly stitched.

"There." Adella said, gently snipping a spare thread from Eileen's arm. "That should do."

Eileen flexed her arm a few times. "Mm, you've done well. You're not bad at all."

Adella smiled, unable to resist a flush at the compliment. "Thank you, Hunter." she replied.

The three stared down at the decrepit city of Old Yharnam.

It was once a bustling city, but now stood as a reminder of the sins of the Healing Church.

One of many.


	2. II

~O~

It was quiet as the group ventured deeper into Old Yharnam.

Several Beasts were dispatched in their path and Adella searched an abandoned house for supplies or anything else that would possibly be of use to them on their trip; so far, she'd merely found a few books and maps, but nothing of any real use to them. Eileen had been interested in seeking out clues about her next mark, so she thought that Adella would be useful looking for them.

Outside of the house, she heard the sound of a Beast snarling, followed by Eileen's grunts of effort.

"Henryk, cut down its legs!"

"I'm already on it, Eileen. I - AH!"

A snap and Henryk was thrown through the window near Adella's head. She yelped, ducked to avoid the glass before she looked down and Henryk who laid there. He seemed unharmed, but annoyed more than anything else. She smiled weakly at him.

"Ah, anything useful, Adella?" he asked, sitting up.

A sigh from the nun and she held up the book in her hand. "I'm afraid not. Just old storybooks and maps."

"Oh, well, we can move on. Our Mark was possibly here and left." Henryk glanced toward the window and hissed; the snarling of the Beast outside drew his attention back to his task. "Oh! One moment."

He jumped through the window and there was the sound of a Beast screeching in pain before utter silence. After a few moments, Adella carefully stuck her head out the window to see if it was safe and found Eileen and Henryk standing over a large Scourge Beast corpse. It was lying in a pool of its blood and Henryk's ax had been tossed into its head.

"Is it safe?" Adella asked.

"For now." Eileen replied. "Come."

She reached one hand out to help her through the window. Adella stumbled a few times before she managed to find proper footing on the ground. She almost lost her balance once more and swayed into Eileen.

"Oh Gods, forgive me," she mumbled, with an embarrassed laugh.

Henryk looked beyond them toward a set of enormous, intricately-carved doors. He made his way over to them and ran a hand against the surface before glancing back at the two women.

"Eileen Look at this door." he said.

Eileen and Adella made their way over and ran their hands over the interesting surface of it. There were curious markings and what looked like claw marks driven through the metal and a few designs from a time long passed. Adella murmured thoughtfully, placing three of her own fingers into the claw indentations before running them down toward the center. Whatever it was, it had to have been quite large to do that kind of damage.

"What do you think?" Henryk asked, glancing at Eileen.

"I don't like this," Eileen replied, shaking her head.

"I don't find it very welcoming either." Adella agreed, feeling a strangely cold shiver run down her back.

The trio ignored the great door, but Adella gave one small glance back toward it anyway. There was something interesting and unsettling about it. They continued their walk toward an enormous church surrounded by various gravestones. Surprising enough, Alfred's familiar form was seen crouched by the door. He looked apprehensive and glanced back at the sight of the three.

"Oh-hoh! Very good, very good indeed!" he said, excitement in his voice now. He stood up. "Beast hunting is a sacred practice and it just so happens that one lies within this church. Will you offer your aid, fellow Hunters?"

"We do not have time to waste," Eileen replied, "We have other matters that require our attention. I bid you luck on your task, but we must go."

Adella was starting to follow, even as Alfred entered the church alone. She didn't quite trust him, but the thought of him leaving to fight a Beast on his own worried her. He certainly didn't deserve to die alone, so she walked up to Eileen and looked at her, suddenly aware of how much taller the Hunter was in comparison to her.

"We're leaving him to fight it alone?" she asked.

"It's not my place nor my concern what he chooses to do with his life." Eileen replied, "We are here to do a job and keep to the shadows. We do not invite unnecessary battles if they do not concern us."

Alfred called out to them from the door of the church. "Not a concern!" he yelled, with a laugh, "It's not as big as I believed it to be! I will dispatch this unholy thing without difficulty!"

It took merely a few minutes before Alfred was tossed from the church with a loud yell. He tumbled across the dirt in a clumsy flurry of limbs and hit a few headstones in the process. Adella, Henryk and Eileen whirled in shock and watched as he grunted, staggering to his feet; he found purchase on a tree and grimaced, taking a moment to catch his breath before he spoke.

"Well, perhaps a little difficulty." he corrected.

A few seconds passed and a rattling hiss filled the air; a bloodied, skeletal hand reached out and grasped the threshold, followed by the shape of a deformed, quadrupedal creature. Much to the horror of the three, they noticed its skin was peeled off and hanging from its back. It had a malnourished, skeletal appearance and a horrific, grimacing beastly visage. Its eyes were sunken and black, focused on the four in the cemetery with violent hunger.

"Dammit!" Henryk cursed. He looked at Adella. "Find cover. We'll handle this."

Adella nodded and quickly sprinted away upon his order. The Beast spotted her movement and tossed its head with a loud, high-pitched screech. It started to lumber forward toward her, but Eileen stepped up, blades at the ready.

"Keep your eyes to me, filth!" she hissed.

The Beast screeched again and charged for the Hunter now, slavering for her blood. Alfred joined the fight this time; his weapon was an enormous hammer that he swung at the creature. The flaps of skin waved through the air as the Beast fought them, spitting poison and saliva in its wake.

Adella frantically watched the scene from a suitable distance, frightened by the terrible creature. She could smell the poison from its body in the air and it left her feeling dizzy. Its movements were wild, erratic and driven only with the urge to feed and rend the Hunters to pieces.

Her vision dimmed and she began to cough. "Oh...merciful Gods, it's poison..." she moaned, between a fit of coughs.

Hands shaking weakly, she reached into her side bag and dug out a few white pills. She popped them into her mouth and swallowed them before looking out toward the Hunters. The Beast screeched when it took a heavy blow from Alfred's hammer and stumbled back in a flurry of limbs, flesh and poison.

It screamed again before its body swelled, growing in strength and size. Adella's eyes widened in horror and Henryk gasped, backing away with his ax clutched tightly in hand.

"What...?" he gasped.

Alfred grimaced with a grunt of fury. "It seems as if it has a few more tricks for us!"

The Beast dove, claws slashing and teeth snapping; Eileen narrowly avoided its swipe before she hooked one of her blades into its head. It screamed out with rage and pain, bucking wildly as she jumped onto its slippery, disgusting back and used the other blade to plunge into its eye.

Henryk joined in by cleaving at its legs as it thrashed like a thing possessed, determined to get the Hunter free of its back. Alfred charged in with a fierce, proud yell worthy of a Hunter's rally and slammed his hammer into the creature's head as hard as he could.

The sickening sounds of bone snapping ripped through the air; it was enough to make Adella sick to her stomach as she watched the Beast give a few final, defiant shudders before collapsing to the ground. Eileen grunted with effort and pulled her blades from the creature's head. Blood formed a hideous, foul-smelling pool around its body and a few moments of its fingers twitched before it stopped moving completely.

She turned her attention to Alfred now, and there was a scowl in her voice. "That was immensely foolish of you." she snapped.

"Perhaps, so," Alfred agreed, with a breathless laugh. "But you brave Hunters saved me and I am indebted to you."

"That isn't necessary. What's done is done." Eileen replied. "We will be on our way."

She turned her attention to Adella, who rose and smiled weakly. Eileen studied her for a moment, gave her a brief nod before she started walking ahead of them. Henryk approached Adella and patted her back once, ushering her to follow the older woman.

"I bid you farewell on your journey, Hunters!" Alfred called, waving.

Eileen said nothing more, but she was certainly covered from head to toe by the creature's blood.

O

First, the mask was removed, then the rest of her attire.

Eileen spent the better half of that morning bathing herself in the waters of the creek, washing herself of the Beast's blood and various other human blood that had accumulated on her person. It was waist-deep and there was a tree nearby where she kept her weapons at the ready should an enemy approach her with the intent to fight. They would be dispatched without mercy.

She hummed the melody of Viola's music box to herself, shutting her eyes and attempting to find a moment of reprieve for herself.

Adella had been wandering nearby, looking for suitable plants and herbs that could serve a use to her medical expertise. Henryk was hunting for breakfast for them and they had made a little campsite close by. They didn't intend to stay long, however; Hunters never remained in one spot for long. Well, that was certainly what they had informed her of; she was ready to accept whatever happened, so long as they allowed her to remain in their company.

She didn't want to be alone.

The nun suddenly tripped and her leg slid awkwardly into the creek, soaking her completely. She uttered an annoyed groan of protest and shook some moss that tangled up in her boot.

"Honestly!" Adella muttered, with a frustrated grunt.

Then, she glanced up and noticed Eileen bathing before quickly averting her eyes, ashamed by noticing the Hunter in such a delicate state. Eileen didn't seem to see her there and rubbed the back of her neck, wincing a little.

Adella's eyes returned to look - it wasn't right, but she couldn't help herself. Her curiosity had her studying the naked back of the Hunter, but specifically to the scars she had accumulated; no doubt from her hunts or possible fights with her fellow humans. Eileen hadn't turned around just yet, so she hadn't seen her face until this moment. She was curious by what she looked like without her mask.

Eileen did turn halfway after a moment; she had short, curly brown hair streaked with gray and white; darker skin, strong angular features and bright blue eyes that seemed almost white. Her lip and cheek on her left side of her face was scarred, as if she'd been wounded by a Beast before. That was certainly no surprise, but Adella had the feeling that the old Hunter had endured her share of human wounds as well.

What WAS particularly interesting was the hideous scar on Eileen's lower back that looked almost too methodically placed to have come from battle.

There was also an interesting tattoo on the older woman's right arm, a symbol from her far-off native land, no doubt. It resembled a bird, but the nun couldn't tell from where she stood. Eileen was also quite built with muscles, despite how old she must have been. The life she lived certainly yielded such results and strength that most did not get to experience.

Adella couldn't help but stare ruefully down at her own arms. She certainly couldn't look the way Eileen did; the older woman was fit as every Hunter should be.

Feeling rude for staring after a few moments, Adella quickly hurried back to the camp site, just as Henryk was walking up with two freshly killed rabbits in his hands. He noticed Adella's flustered expression and tilted his head.

"Adella?" he said. "What is it?"

"Nothing!" Adella said, quickly; she felt embarrassed now. "I was...simply in deep thought."

"I thought you were looking for herbs and plants."

"I was! I mean, yes, you're right...I'm finished."

Henryk was a little lost by Adella's behavior, but he had no time to really pay mind to it, do he worked on skinning the animals he'd caught. Adella went to work creating pastes from the plants she had plucked. They both worked in silence for the most part; occasionally, they passed items they needed to one another, but nothing else was said. Adella was too ashamed by watching Eileen.

It took another hour before Eileen returned to the camp site, dressed and cleaned. She took a seat beside Adella and the nun glanced at her rather meekly. Eileen didn't seem interested in what she was doing.

"There have been no signs of him," she said.

Henryk looked at her and spoke reassuringly. "We'll find him. He is probably resting. The same as us."

"The wicked do not rest."

Adella looked a little surprised by the edge in Eileen's voice. It was the first time that the typically calm Hunter seemed a little more tense. She had known her for a short time and Eileen had always maintained a calm demeanor.

"Um...if I may..." Adella said, carefully. "Who are you searching for?"

Eileen looked up at Henryk and the other Hunter did not respond for a moment. They seemed to contemplate telling her.

"As you know, there is a man we seek along with our marks," Henryk finally explained. "He calls himself the 'Bloody Crow of Cainhurst'. He's a monstrous man who slaughters innocent people without hesitation. He will kill children if he so wishes."

Eileen was staring at the fire as the rabbit was cooking over a spit.

"I've never heard of such a man before," Adella said, frowning; the thought of this 'Bloody Crow' gave her nervous shudders. "But the way you describe him...he sounds worse than a Beast."

"A man with no other drive than the lust of blood is little different from one," Eileen said, quietly. "But that is what happens to those who succumb to the intoxication of the Hunt. Now then, after we've eaten, we should move on."

"Eileen, we've been walking for days without sleep." Henryk reminded her. "One night of rest is all we need. Then, we can press on."

"Very well."

The urgency to kill this man was still there in Eileen's voice. There was something more to this Bloody Crow of Cainhurst that Adella could sense. But she didn't find it prudent to ask further questions.

They looked up at the sound of thunder rumbling.

It was going to be a long night.

O

The loud clap of lightning awoke Adella abruptly from sleep. She stared through the boarded window of the abandoned home watching the light create frightening shadows all around them. The sounds of howls and distant chatter frightened her.

"Shhh," Eileen appeared at her side now. "Huntsmen and their hounds. Nothing more. Stay quiet and they won't see us."

Adella saw the movement of the Huntsmen in the distant trees. True to Eileen's words, they didn't seem to spot them in the home they had taken shelter in. The heavy rainfall certainly guaranteed a perfect visual advantage. For now, they were safe.

"Ah, they're leaving." Adella said, softly.

"Here, take this," Eileen offered Adella a dagger by the handle.

The nun graciously refused, uncertain by the idea of having a weapon on hand. "No. I couldn't possibly - " she started to argue.

"Yes, you could. Now take it." Eileen said, firmly. "I won't stand by while one in my company is defenseless. Go on now."

Adella hesitantly took the weapon and connected it to her belt. She clasped the buttons tightly and nodded to the Hunter.

"Thank you."

Henryk appeared beside them. "I've discovered some rather interesting books in the cellar." he told them. "A few contain maps that may be of use to us."

Adella and Eileen followed him down ruined stairs and into a small cellar filled with maps, scrolls and various other books. Adella was particularly fascinated and unraveled one, smiling with amazement.

"These are quite old!" she said. "And still as beautiful as the day they were made!"

Eileen glanced up partially at the comment. She made an amused sound. "Fond of these things, are we?"

"Oh yes!" Adella said, delighted. "My grandfather had quite a collection. He would often tell me stories of places we would visit some day."

Henryk looked at her curiously. "What became of your grandfather?"

"Oh. He passed." Adella replied, her enthusiasm deflating somewhat at the memory.

"I'm sorry."

"He was ill and quite old. He went quietly in his sleep."

Eileen glanced up briefly beyond them after a few moments. "There was a man here who collected these maps," she said, "Whoever he was, he must have been...six foot eight, a poor limp in his leg...seven teeth in his mouth. And, a bandage over his left eye."

Henryk and Adella looked up at her in surprise.

"How do you know?" Henryk asked.

"Because he's standing right behind you," Eileen told them.

Behind the two, a large brute of a man was standing; detailed exactly as she had said he was. His good eye was bright red, filled with nothing more than a lust for blood. But it was no man. It was a Brick Troll.

And not a foe they wanted to tangle with.

He grabbed a wooden beam and yanked with a fierce grunt. Henryk's eyes widened.

"You fool!" he cried, "That's the support beam to this house!"

The troll gave a sick, wet roar, just as the foundations of the house began to shake around them. The three quickly hurried from the cellar, moments as rotted wood began to fall. The enormous brute surged after them with a roar, despite being impaled through his thick shoulders with wood.

Despite his clear agony, the large brute of a troll stomped through the stairs, seconds behind the Hunters and nun. Hurrying out into the rain, the trio took cover behind the trees, moments as what was left of the house collapsed into a pile of rubble and wood.

"Most unfortunate for our shelter," Adella said, catching her breath. "But I did manage to take this."

She held out the rolled map she had managed to retrieve and the two Hunters nodded their approval.

"Excellent work." Eileen said.

A sound of wood breaking drew their attention toward the house and the brute was pulling his way through, lacerated by the broken wood. But the enormous being pushed on, despite the life-threatening wounds.

"Go." Eileen ordered. "Now!"

The trio rushed through the woods, taking advantage of the rain and darkness. Adella's boots occasionally became stuck in mud, so it required Eileen to help her by taking her arm and tugging her forward.

The old Hunter still had quite a bit of strength in her hold; her fingers tightened on Adella's wrist as she led the nun into a cave on Henryk's lead. They could hear the sound of the brute roaring in the distance.

"I don't think that oaf will follow us," Eileen said. "For now, let's stay here until this weather clears."

O

_"Adella..."_

_"Adella. We're waiting for you."_

Adella opened her eyes and found that the rain had stopped. Eileen and Henryk were already awake and the nun quickly gathered herself and her things together. The ground was slick and muddy, but there were no signs of Beasts nor Huntsmen to be seen. And even better, no Brick Trolls. That was good. At least it was peaceful for the moment for them.

The nun watched Eileen gather a rope in her arm.

"What is the rope for?" she asked.

Eileen looked up at her. "We've spotted horses not too far from here," she told her, "Traveling on foot will prove to be dangerous for some of us - " She meant her, of course. " - So we will have to capture a horse or two for travel."

Henryk frowned. "Horses startle easily."

"Not Yharnam horses," Eileen reminded him, "They are bred specifically for speed and strength."

"Did you see any near?" Adella asked her.

"Yes. There's a farm that was abandoned by the previous owners and their livestock set loose. I was able to find two horses. Come on, then."

The three wandered to the farm in question. The fence had been smashed to splinters and a few cows were lying in the field, torn to pieces and left in puddles of rotten water and maggots. A few horses were grazing outside of the fences and Eileen slowly approached one, holding the rope close in hand.

"Alright then..." she said, lowly, "I'm not going to hurt you..."

The horse nickered softly, retreating a few steps as the Hunter advanced. Henryk raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think this horse was particularly trained in Yharnam ways..." he remarked.

"Hush." Eileen said, annoyed.

The horse stood still as Eileen tossed the rope around its neck. "Easy..." she soothed. "That's it. We're going to be fine, yes?"

She approached the animal, giving it a few gentle pats on its side. Adella smiled and also ran her hands along its sides. There was a tenseness in the animal's frame, but it seemed to relax at the combined attention from the two. Adella chuckled, feeling a bit of contentment from being here; it felt like such a pleasant change from running from Beasts and mad men alike.

"Ah, he's perfect," Adella said.

"One can learn much from Beasts." Eileen admitted. "Animal or otherwise."

"It's been some time since I've been on a farm."

A small, thoughtful sound from Eileen. "Hm. I did not picture you as a farm girl."

Adella looked at her with a small laugh. "Really?" she said. She returned attention to the horse and continued to pet the animal. "I was for a short time. My father owned a little patch of land before I was sent to the Church. I had promise, or so he liked to tell me."

"Ah, I see." Eileen wasn't sure what compelled her to ask about the nun's childhood. She continued anyway. "Well, I'm certain your father had the utmost hopes for you."

"He did, though rarely around was he."

Adella seemed a bit disappointed and Eileen decided to change the subject. She gestured to the horse with one finger.

"Alright. Climb on." she told her.

Adella nodded and Eileen bent down a bit, bringing her hands together in front of her so the nun could step onto them and hoist herself up onto the horse's back. She gave a yelp as the animal jerked a bit before soothing it with gentle petting.

"Easy." she said, gently.

"Hmm, he seems to like you," Eileen remarked. "Now then, we should find some suitable patting so that - "

The horse heard the snapping of a twig and its ears flicked up. It gave an alarmed whinny and took off. Adella yelled with fright the entire time and the two Hunters gave chase.

"Ah, oh Gods, stop!" Adella cried, clutching the horse's mane. "Cease and desist! Stop it! Eileen! Henryk! Help me, please!"

"Stop, you silly animal!" Eileen ordered, seizing the rope.

The horse reared up with a loud braying noise, tossing Adella to the ground. Then, it bucked again, flinging Eileen to the ground alongside the nun. The two could only watch as the horse galloped away. Henryk looked down at them and laughed.

"What was that about using horses?" he joked.

"Oh, hush up." Eileen muttered.

After a few more attempts, the horses they managed to retrieve were suitable enough for their journey. Eileen and Adella were sitting together on one horse while Henryk had chosen to walk. They would alternate between trips as needed.

Adella felt safe with Eileen sitting close behind her on the horse, not to mention warm. The feathered garb that the Hunter wore was rather comfortable and cozy. Perhaps it was what made it easy for Eileen to wander about in colder temperatures.

She had almost been nodding off and hadn't realized she was leaning back against Eileen until the Hunter spoke.

"Don't sleep now." Eileen chided. "We must all be alert."

When Adella didn't respond, Eileen thumped her on the lobe of her ear to wake her and the nun gave a yelp, hand going to her ear.

"Did you hear me?" Eileen said. "No sleeping."

"Why did you flick my ear? That hurt."

"No, it didn't. Don't be ridiculous."

"It really did..."

Henryk listened to their banter and couldn't help his soft chuckle. This was going to make for an interesting trip.

O

"Hold it like this."

"Oh. Y-yes, forgive me, I didn't - "

"No, no, your stance is wrong. Here, like this."

Henryk was writing down notes in a journal and looked up with amusement as Eileen was attempting to educate Adella on the proper way to hold the dagger she had given her. The Hunter was growing increasingly impatient with the lack of progress, but such was the older woman's way; she wasn't rude, just rough around the edges with her age.

"You're such a child," Eileen said, with dismay, "Here..."

She took Adella's wrist gently and positioned the arm into the proper movements that she'd wanted. The nun could only smile, flattered to even be educated in this way. A Hunter taking the time to show her what she knew. Her. A lowly Blood Saint.

Eileen had a smell to her that Adella found particularly comforting, in a strange way. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but she unintentionally leaned closer to the Hunter while she was talking and didn't realize it until Eileen stepped away.

"You move rather quickly, so you'll have the advantage there in battle," Eileen had been saying. She paused and her voice carried a frown. "Adella. Are you paying attention to me?"

Adella snapped out of her reverie and gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry, Hunter. I was miles away, I'm afraid..."

Eileen threw her hands in the air. "Honestly!"

Henryk stood up and closed his journal. "Well, we should be off," he told the two, "The sun will set shortly and we know what lurks in these woods at night."

"Good." Eileen agreed. "Now then, if the nun could kindly take her head out of the clouds, she would be able to stand for longer than two minutes without finding herself in trouble."

Adella flushed, but managed a grin when she realized Eileen was chuckling beneath her mask. Ah, so she meant no real cruelty.

They passed a home that was protected by the same incense as the homes in Yharnam. Someone inside immediately addressed them.

"Oh, a hunter of beasts, are you? Glory be," a man spoke, his voice oddly raspy. "You know not the value you possess. But, more's the pity... The hours of the night are many, and the beasts more than I can count. A veritable hunt unending!"

Adella looked at Eileen and Henryk. The Hunters seemed disinterested in the voice behind the window; most of those who spoke were already on the verge of madness. Quite a lot of what they said made no sense otherwise.

"Not even death offers solace, and the blood imbibes you. Ha, a most frightful fate, oh my." A chuckle. "But I'm willing to do you a kindness. Step lightly round to the right of the great cathedral, and seek an ancient, shrouded church. The gift of the godhead will grant you strength... Yes, I'm unquestionably certain..."

A dry, almost suspicious laugh echoed from behind the window. Eileen looked at Adella and shook her head.

"Come on, then," she whispered. "We're wasting time here."

As the trio continued on, they could hear the man laughing even still.

O

The nun nearly fell from the edge of the cliff.

She gave a frightened gasp and clung to Eileen in an attempt to avoid slipping. The path was narrow and masses of snakes lingered below. The creatures looked up with a chorus of hisses as rubble rained down near their heads. They were wound up together in little ball-like forms, frightening and angry.

"Careful." Eileen told the nun.

"What are they?" Adella asked, with a frightened sound.

"Vipers." Eileen explained. "Be cautious, they spit."

Adella shuddered and clutched tighter to her.

Once they reached suitable ground, Henryk cast his gaze toward the distant horizon. He furrowed his brow and removed the cover of his face.

"Something's not right," he said, "Do you feel it?"

Eileen sensed it as well. "Yes... There's something here. I smell it."

Adella peered over the edge of the cliff. There was something resting in a stream of water below and she frowned, leaning closer to try and get a better look. It shimmered like glass and looked like it could have been a bell. She reached out to try and take it.

Behind her, something moved quickly and threw itself into her, sending the nun screaming over the edge. Eileen and Henryk looked over at the place Adella used to be, horror in their voices.

"Adella!" Eileen shouted.

She rushed to the edge of the cliff, finding the nun lying at the bottom.

"Adella, answer me!" she ordered. "Are you alright?"

She sighed with relief when she noticed Adella begin to stir below.

"Adella, just wait there! Henryk and I will come down for you!"

Adella moaned in pain and she slowly sat up, struggling to regain her senses through the red haze of agony spiking in her head. She reached up and touched her forehead, coming back with fingers soaked in blood. She winced and stood up, but lost her balance and fell once more. Hitting her head left her dizzy and disoriented.

"Adella?" Eileen called again.

Adella looked up at her with a helpless groan. "Something pushed me," she protested.

Eileen and Henryk looked around for signs of anything that could have been responsible. The masked Hunter looked down at Adella and shook her head.

"I don't see anything. If something had, we would not have missed it." she said.

Adella looked at her desperately. "I swear on my mother's grave, something pushed me! It really hurt!"

"Alright, alright, don't make such a fuss." Eileen said, not eager to argue with her right now. "Can you stand?"

Adella nodded. "I think so. It's just my head..."

"Good. We'll be down. Just wait there."

Adella held herself and shivered, looking around warily. The dark wood was certainly foreboding and the light fog only added to the unnerving terrain. She didn't see signs of anything in the distance, but there did seem to be a path. That and eerie statues of Great Ones placed as far as she could see.

A shadow moved and Adella's eyes widened.

"E-Eileen?" she stammered.

The two Hunters were working their way down the cliff, slowly and carefully as not to end up in the same situation as the nun.

"Adella, I'm coming." Eileen told her without glancing down, "Just stay calm, yes?"

Adella backed away slowly as something moved toward her.

"Eileen."

The Hunter slid on the rocks a little, not noticing Adella's condition. She hissed out a curse in her native tongue and Henryk moved to help. She swatted his hand aside, muttering about how she 'had it under control'.

Adella gave a frightened cry when something rushed toward her now. She recoiled and drew back her leg, kicking as hard as she could.

An enormous spider-like creature with the head of a man. It tumbled head over heels across the dirt with a grunt and groan. Eileen and Henryk rushed over, just as the spider charged for Adella again.

Eileen seized two of its many legs and forced it back with a grunt of effort.

"Ah!" it screamed, in the same voice as the man from the window, "Now, wait just a moment! Wait!"

Adella's eyes widened and needless to say, Eileen and Henryk looked just as surprised.

"It spoke!" Adella exclaimed, "The spider spoke!"

Eileen released the creature now and it let out a rather indignant "hmph" at her words, dusting itself off with its many legs. Its face was pale, the neck covered with patches of old, dead skin. It wore a little necklace with a green gem around its neck.

"That's PATCHES to you and I will not be called such a common thing." he said. His features twisted in a smug grin. "Are your feet as fat as your wits?"

Eileen drew her sword and pointed it at Patches' throat. "Speak now, or I will gladly string you up like the...whatever it is you are."

Patches laughed warily and raised two little legs as if they were hands warding off a dangerous threat. "My sincerest apologies, but I feel a profound thought occurring... On the good grace of a certain god, and the way he meted out his love."

Adella frowned. "It - It was you." she said. "You pushed me off that cliff."

Patches chuckled. "Ah. Couldn't help myself. Bit of a blunder, but I wanted to see for myself if your blood is as holy as they say!"

He cackled and Eileen pressed the tip of her sword harder into his neck, drawing a wince of pain from him. He grunted and backed away from her.

"Oh, cease this dithering! Take the plunge! Throw yourself to the wolves!" Patches hissed. "You're in nigh on a beast of the field, but here you are, treading a measure with the gods."

The two Hunters didn't respond. Was he speaking truth or just uttering nonsense?

"Do you think ill of me, me?" Patches hissed. "Yes, you could spill my blood. You could...what was the word you used, bird Hunter? Ah yes 'string me up'. OR you could hear my message. I shared with you a thing most secret. Now you're witness to a miracle, and all the stronger for it! You should appreciate it, if you've a grain of gratitude in you!"

Ah, but no matter. Such details are trifling. We're fast friends by now. Oh, doubt me not, sweet compeer. What is friendship, but a chance encounter? If the fates are kind, out paths may cross again."

Adella furrowed her brow and looked at Eileen. Patches skittered away, dodging Eileen's swipe of her sword. He cackled as he fled her.

"Miserable coward!" Eileen spat.

"Should we pursue?" Henryk asked.

"No. We have a Hunter to bring down. No time to be off chasing the damned."

Adella glanced down while they spoke, spotting a latticed, deformed rock lying beside her. It was green, and when she touched it, oddly warm.

_"'The gift of the godhead will grant you strength'..."_

She remembered the passage spoken, but from where? She hadn't the faintest idea. Still, it was an interesting item and one she would probably study between their trip.

Adella pocketed the object.

O

Eileen gently wrapped Adella's head with the bandages.

"You're more trouble than you're worth, you know," she said, shaking her head. But her words were gentle regardless. "You need to tread carefully."

Adella lifted her eyes and smiled shyly. "Thank you."

"Hm?" Eileen paused and her voice carried a curiosity. "Whatever for?"

"Saving me."

Eileen sighed and shook her head. "There's no need to. You're in our company." she assured the nun. "Perhaps my previous statement merits some apology. I was simply worried."

"About Viola?"

Eileen stopped wrapping and lowered her hands. The two had been kneeling in the bed of hay they had chosen to rest in. The Hunter glanced down briefly in silence, not speaking on the matter for a moment.

"Love for my people has never been something of a focus," Eileen eventually explained, "We're trained to hunt and trained to kill. We are never taught to love. You understand why this is. Life can be snuffed out so quickly in our line of work; it leaves us empty, grants us distraction and eventually, gruesome death."

Adella sensed she'd crossed into forbidden territory. "Forgive me. I didn't mean..."

"Oh, don't apologize so much," Eileen scolded.

She was silent again before continuing.

"Little things meant the world to Viola. Ah, what silly trifles she would collect. Anything to distract herself from the crippling weight of grief should she lose her husband to the Hunt."

"Did she know?" Adella asked. "How you felt?"

Eileen's voice carried a smile now. "I brought her a gift once. When a member of my village shows interest, you don't approach unless introduced by a mutual friend."

Adella smiled now. "You mean Henryk."

"Yes. Even thought Viola had chosen Gascoigne, I suppose I couldn't help myself... I dedicated myself to courtship in the Old Ways. To do that, one must Hunt."

Adella had no idea what that meant exactly, but she was curious. "What do you hunt for this ritual?"

"In my village, the hunt determined how interested you were in the person. Oh, it could be anything, really; most of my people had a tendency to hunt the most complicated things. I did as well. Though sometimes, there were those who also performed a courtship dance."

The nun grinned and couldn't imagine Eileen dancing in any way. "Did you do that?"

"I did." Eileen told her. "Viola and I danced in the moonlight - an old Dance of Ritual. I believe she felt interest in me as well. Though she knew that it wasn't right, being married to her husband."

Adella hung her shoulders, wringing her hands together. "I'm sorry."

"It doesn't matter, Adella. These things are an unfortunate part of the Hunt," Eileen said, with a sigh, "We must meet them without sorrow. For it won't bring her back to me nor will it return the children's mother to them."

"You do not feel sorrow for her passing?"

"No. I feel sorrow. Hunters mourn by the blade. A member of the Church such as yourself should understand that by now."

Adella nodded her head gravely. She did. She had seen enough of it to fully understand. She had known well enough that some Hunters ended themselves at the end of their own weapons. Others took a quicker approach with their pistols. In the way the world was, it was just a merciful way. Such a shame that grief was enough to do in the mighty Hunters of the Church whereas a Beast could not.

"And what of you?" Eileen finally asked, more than eager to change the subject. "What of the one you look for?"

Adella's features fell. "Oh. She was a friend. A Blood Saint like myself, but spirited. Stronger than I ever could be."

"You think entirely too less of yourself." Eileen said, with a sound of amusement now. "I've seen my share of weak members of the Church. There is more to you than you believe."

"How do you know?"

"Hunters intuition, perhaps."

Adella smiled, lowering her eyes shyly. "Thank you."

"Now then, let's rest." Eileen told her, finding comfort in the hay. "Sleep here. I'll find a place elsewhere."

Adella looked surprised.

"Oh, don't look at me in such a way, silly nun," Eileen chided, "I've slept in snow before. I'll be fine."

"Alright." Adella said.

She struggled later to find comfort in the bed of hay. Somehow it always looked so comfortable from a distance, but the ends of it had been scratching into her arse for the passed several minutes. Such a bother.


	3. III

~O~

When Adella finally found sleep that night, she started to dream. It was a good dream and she hadn't had one quite like it in some time. There was no terrible moon, no storm and certainly no monsters. Instead, in this dream, she found herself at home with her family - they were still alive and well. It was a lovely change to the horrors of the night and the Hunt.

Outside of her dream, she was unaware that she had been sleep-walking the entire time, laughing softly without a care in the world. She swayed a little, narrowly missing knocking into things before she walked outside, passing Eileen who had awoken to relieve herself in a bush. She eventually looked back and saw Adella leaving, quickly made herself decent and called to her.

"Adella?" she said.

The nun smiled in her sleep and continued on while the Hunter followed behind her. She was growing concerned by the lack of Adella's responses.

"Adella, what are you doing?" she demanded.

She hurried to find Henryk and they followed the nun.

"Adella, stop!" Eileen ordered.

But the nun simply laughed, still asleep and oblivious to their beseeching.

Just then, high-pitched, eerie singing filled the air, freezing the Hunters where they stood. They noticed a grotesque creature standing in the trees a few steps away from the nun. It had a large, bulbous head with numerous, wide eyes. It's humanoid body was dressed in a torn red dress, with long skirt and sleeves.

It seemed to notice Adella and its body began to glow a soft orange color, illuminating the entire area around them. It continued to sing.

The Hunters quickly made their way over, shouting for Adella to flee. The nun eventually awoke, blinking slowly with a mixture of confusion as she took a moment to take in her surroundings. She looked back at them as they rushed toward her frantically. Taking a moment to regain her senses, she stared upwards at the night sky, lost as to how she'd gotten there.

"Eileen? Henryk?" she said. "What am I..."

She sensed the presence of the creature and turned. Adella's eyes slowly widened in horror, just as she was seized tightly by the creature's hands on her arms and lifted off of her feet.

"Adella, shut your eyes!" Eileen shouted, desperately.

But Adella was frozen in fear, unable to close her eyes as the creature stared down at her with its many wide, frightening eyes. Its face was so close, she could see the veins in its eyes and watched the pupils contract as they focused completely on her. The flesh around its neck pulled back and several tiny mouths filled with razor-sharp teeth opened up around its neck, snapping hungrily.

It was then that Adella screamed.

The sound was an awful, tortured wail of agony that pierced the night air. The two Hunters rushed the creature, adverting their eyes to avoid the same horrid forced sharing of information that Adella was no doubt experiencing. Fortunately, the creature could focus on one victim at a time during such a thing, leaving it completely defenseless to their attacks.

Henryk's ax cleaved into the creature's head, slicing it open so that thick, disgusting pools of blood gushed from the wound. It gave a horrid, dying screech and dropped the nun to the ground. Eileen moved to her side while Henryk finished off the terrible monstrosity.

"Oh no!" Adella whimpered, "Oh Gods, no!"

Eileen carried Adella back to the barn that they had hidden in. The nun was downright sobbing in agony, tugging at her robes, which had become soaked in her blood. Eileen pulled her hands away and she screamed again, voice carrying a protest.

"Please, I can't see - OH GODS. I can't make it stop!" Adella shrieked.

Eileen worked quickly into the nun's satchel, looking for anything that would help her. She grunted in surprise when she found what she'd been looking for - a bottle of sedative. She tried to open the bottle, but Adella had started to flee from her, resorting into Eileen with no choice but to lunge and knock her down. Adella shrieked again, terror and pain in her voice.

"No! Don't hurt me, please!" she wailed.

"Stop it!" Eileen insisted, "Adella, it's me! I'm not going to hurt you! Stop!"

She grabbed Adella's wrists in one hand and held them down over her head to stop her from slapping at her mask and head. The result of Adella fighting with her was no doubt the terrible images the creature had forced into her mind. Eileen was familiar with them in her studies, but they only lurked in the Nightmare. Why they were here now...

Adella only saw a shadowy, slavering Beast holding her down through a haze of crimson pain. It spoke in terrible snarls and it had four red eyes. Its jaws were filled with razor teeth and its head looked like a frightening, avian skull. Thick black feathers covered its entire body. She was being smothered, suffocated by the smell and feel of it. Oh Gods, she was going to die.

"Stop, please!" Adella sobbed brokenly, tears of sorrow and pain pouring down her cheeks.

Eileen ignored her pleas and used her free hand and popped the cork from the sedative before she brought it to Adella's lips. The nun jerked her head back and forth, refusing what she clearly thought was a poisoned offering.

_No, stop it. Stop it. Stop it._

Henryk stepped into the barn, noticed the situation.

"Hold her down!" Eileen ordered, grunting with effort. "I need to get her mouth open but she keeps fighting me!"

Henryk moved to Adella's side, whispering an encouragement, but all the nun could see was the terrible bird-like Beast trying to kill her. Henryk held her jaw down with one hand and pried her mouth open so that Eileen could pour the contents of the sedative down her throat.

When Adella tried to spit it out, Henryk clasped a hand over her mouth, forcing her head back so that she had no other choice but to swallow the contents of it. Adella moaned and whimpered, fighting them a little more before her struggles eventually ceased.

It took a few moments before Eileen and Henryk released their hold on her. She looked around, her senses seemingly returning before uttering a broken sound of pain and clutching her blood-soaked chest.

"Alright," Eileen said, evenly. "Gods, you fight like a Beast from hell. Still, you should be coming back to us now." She looked up at Henryk now and gestured with one finger behind her. "Check the entire perimeter and see if there's more of them. We'll be fine now."

Henryk nodded his head. Then, he frowned. "It's hard to believe. Those creatures have never left the Nightmare."

"Hm." Eileen thought about that. "We can focus later on it. Right now, I must tend to Adella. Go on."

The other Hunter left them alone, stepping out into the night.

O

Eileen searched Adella's satchel for something for her pain. The nun managed to hiss out through whimpers of agony that she had a salve specifically for her physical agony. Eileen was glad of it. She hated hearing the nun's tormented groans of pain.

"Alright, where is the pain?" she asked.

Adella gestured to her back and chest without a word.

"Fine. Now, take off your robes so that I can help."

Adella somehow managed to flush at the request and the Hunter sighed, staring skyward before she shook her head. She didn't have patience to deal with a shy woman right now.

"You have nothing I do not," she admonished. "Now Henryk isn't here. It's just us. Do you want the pain to stop or not?"

Adella managed a weak smile, but whimpered again and began to disrobe the upper part of her robes. She barely managed to hear Eileen's stunned gasp through the terrible ringing in her ears.

There was no longer a slash on the nun's back and chest due to the healing nature of the sedative, but a terrible black and blue bruise that formed spider-web marks along her skin. Adella helplessly scratched at it, but Eileen swatted her hand aside.

"Stop that," she ordered. "You'll only make it worse."

"Please, it aches."

"I know, but that won't help."

Adella shuddered when she felt Eileen's hands work into her back. The Hunter's long, dexterous fingers massaged the salve into the marked flesh. Adella felt another shiver run down her back and a warmth fill her chest at the sensations. She couldn't help herself, really. The Hunter touching her and massaging her in a way she'd never been touched...

Premature, yes. But could she be blamed?

She uttered a small moan of relief, leaning a little against Eileen's touch. The Hunter didn't notice the flush on Adella's cheeks while she worked with all the professionalism of a medic.

"There's going to be a terrible scar," she said, "I trust you have no problems with that."

Adella bit her lip and managed to nod her head. Alright. A sensible response.

The nun had suddenly gone still as Eileen's hands continued their work around to her abdomen and near her breasts. There were no moans from her and Eileen looked up, noticing that the nun seemed unfocused. Flushed.

"Does that feel better?" Eileen questioned, a little taken by the odd look on her face.

"Mmm, yes..."

Eileen pulled her hands away once she was finished, taking no note to the strange air between them. She looked down, now noticing the stone that Adella had pocketed.

"What's this?" she asked. "Where did you get it?"

Adella snapped back to reality and started to dress herself, feeling how hot her cheeks still were.

"I found it." she said. "That creature had dropped the stone. I-I thought we could use it to understand what he was talking about."

Eileen sighed impatiently, taking the stone into her hand. "He wasn't speaking anything." she said, with a gruff snort. "Just nonsense!"

Adella stared down at the stone in Eileen's hand before she averted her eyes. The Hunter sounded deeply upset. Was it her?

"I don't blame you for your curiosity," Eileen said, evenly now, "I was simply concerned. That creature...the Winter Lantern - as they call them in Yharnam...it could have killed you."

Adella looked surprised by Eileen's words now. "I didn't think I was of any importance to you."

Eileen was silent for a moment. "Enough blood has been shed for one night..."

Adella nodded in agreement. The two sat in silence; the air seemed uncomfortable between them and the nun was sure it was because of her. It usually was, after all. She didn't want to think about what the Hunter probably thought of her. It would be unbearable.

"Thank you." she said.

"...You're welcome."

O

"So what is it?"

"I don't know. It feels...like it is connected to the Nightmare."

The three were staring down at the stone that Adella had retrieved from Patches. It rested in the grass that early morning and neither one of them wanted to touch it. It had a strange aura to it that felt...cold. Dead.

It was giving Eileen a headache.

"Should we bury it?" Henryk asked. "It seemed to draw that creature to us."

"We should keep it from us as far as possible." Eileen agreed. "We can't afford to have Nightmarish things following us on our mission."

"Bury it then." Henryk agreed.

The Hunter dug a pit deep into the earth while Eileen and Adella watched near the horse. The nun still felt at odds about what had happened in the barn. Perhaps she knew better than to think about those sorts of things, but she couldn't help it. It was her fault, really. Surely Eileen must have known and thought her a fool.

But the Hunter didn't speak of it and Adella was actually relieved of this.

Eileen glanced down at Adella and noticed the nun wasn't looking at her. For some peculiar reason, her mind drifted to how things had been when she was just as young; she assumed Adella was probably barely in her twenties, after all. The Hunter remembered how she had been as a younger woman - when she'd boasted such strength and pride in her work.

Now she was old, tired and here to finish a task that had cursed her for so long.

Their journey led them into Hemwick Charnel Lane, one of the several districts in Yharnam. As its name suggested, it was essentially a mass grave that followed a direct, straight road. They would have to go through it to make their way into Byrgenwerth as they tracked their mark.

Once they were inside, Adella could clearly see that this small village was obsessed with the handling of the deceased. Many of the tiny houses with chimneys resembled crematoriums, and there were many guillotines to cut the bodies into pieces. Crows feasted as multiple crosses had been raised with corpses on them so they are disfleshed and likely easier to handle.

They passed a woman, whose eyes were sunken and pupils collapsed. The wide-eyed grin on her face was unsettling as she brought a finger to her lips in a shushing gesture. She made no move to harm them, but walked away with a giggle.

Henryk tried to speak to someone on the other side of a door to a small house.

"Too many corpses tonight..." a woman growled, from behind the door. "This grave is too, too shallow. So, go along home, and do me a favor... Come back as a corpse!"

Adella stood closer to Eileen. She was frightened by the distant laughter and the groans from the village inhabitants. A few women in tattered dresses were dancing in circles nearby, oblivious to the trio who had walked inside. Perhaps that was for the best.

Eileen glanced toward a window, where a woman reached out with one hand. She giggled, her face bandaged and her hideous yellowed teeth displayed in a wide grin.

"The minds of the infected are frail," she whispered, in a shaken voice. "You can't be blamed." Her eyes widened and she beckoned them away with a long-nailed hand. "Off with you, now."

Eileen sighed now and turned to face her. "We're looking for someone. We will pass your village shortly. We don't mean harm if you mean no harm to us."

The woman shuddered and she suddenly looked frightened, leaning away from the window as far as she could. "Please go away. You're not normal, not normal no matter how hard you try to pretend." she gasped. "You're not normal. You're not normal."

Henryk approached them and sighed. "None of them seem to know of the Crow," he told the two women. "Perhaps he passed through."

"It's all your fault!"

"You sicken me!"

The three could make out the sound of arguing down the brick road. They followed the voices and peered around the corner of an old house toward the nearby Witch's Abode. Two women were carrying bodies toward the building, no doubt for the Witch of Hemwick.

Adella reacted at the sounds of crying. She knew that voice! It belonged to her friend.

"That's her!" she exclaimed. "My friend is in there!"

"What?" Eileen sounded doubtful. She glanced at the nun. "Are you certain?"

"Yes! That's her voice!" Adella looked at her pleadingly. "I know that's her. Please, we have to save her!" When she noticed no reaction, she begged insistently. "Please!"

It took a few moments before Eileen sighed.

O

The three made their way silently toward the Abode, sticking close to the shadows and avoiding the bandaged, giggling women who danced and carried bodies. Henryk was the first one inside; he looked around, ax at the ready in case something jumped out at them. When it seemed safe enough, he glanced back at the two and nodded silently to confirm.

Adella hurried inside and looked around frantically. "Astrid!" she whispered, frightened. "Astrid, it's me! I'm here! Where are you?"

A low groaning turned all three of them toward a pile of corpses. Adella hesitantly started forward and Eileen put a hand on her shoulder.

"Be cautious," the Hunter warned, gently.

Adella nodded and noticed movement beneath a bloodied tarp. She reached out and pulled the tarp aside.

Immediately, her eyes widened in horror and anguish, hands going to her mouth. She choked back a sorrowful cry and her eyes filled.

An eyeless woman was lying there, wearing farm clothes. Her sticky brown hair had been covered in dirt and blood and her cheeks were smeared with tears. She gurgled a few times and turned her head in the direction of the three.

"Adella...?" she moaned, voice tight with pain. She reached out with two hands. "Are you really there? She-She took my..." Her hands shook as they reached up to her face and she gave a manic, agonized laugh. "She took my eyes... She took my eyes!"

"Shh," Adella's voice trembled and she tried to clean her cheeks with her robes, despite how useless it was. "Astrid, I'm so sorry. I tried to find you sooner. I really did."

"You left me alone." Astrid was sobbing. "Why? Why did you leave me alone?"

"I-I didn't do it to hurt you, Astrid, I swear by the Gods I - "

"LIAR!" Astrid wailed, between sobs. "She cut my eyes out and laughed!" Her voice softened into pained whimpers. "She laughed at me. I begged her to stop and she just laughed at me. She laughed, and she laughed and I... I was alone, Adella. I was alone because you left me at the farm when you promised you'd be there."

Eileen had been silently watching the exchange. Henryk sighed, shut his eyes and lowered his head. He looked at Adella, who had been crying softly in her hands.

"We can do it, Adella." he assured her, quietly. "She won't feel a thing. She's already gone."

Adella looked helplessly up at him, then to Eileen. The other woman nodded only once to confirm it. Astrid was whimpering between fits of giggles and Henryk pulled out a knife from his boot. He reached behind Astrid and Eileen placed a hand on Adella's shoulders.

"You don't have to watch..." she said, gently.

It was another show of kindness from the Hunter and one Adella had been surprised by yet again. Still, she allowed herself to be led away by her while Henryk plunged the knife into the base of Astrid's neck, silencing her giggles. She choked out only once before she was silent.

Eileen and Adella sat outside on the edge of a walkway that overlooked the waters below. Adella had been crying in Eileen's shoulder and the Hunter didn't know what else to do but offer a gentle patting to her head and slow, soothing rocking.

"That's enough now..." she told her, softly. "No one will blame you."

Henryk walked up to them and Eileen looked at the man once. She indicated with a brief flick of her head toward the nearby stairs. He returned the nod and drew out his ax, making his way down toward where the Witch of Hemwick was waiting.

It didn't take long.

Eileen could scarcely make out the sounds of screeches, the Witch crying out in pain before a few wet smacks followed, then dead silence. Henryk could hold his own quite well, that much was certain; she was nothing but a wretched eye collector and the world would be made better for her death.

She glanced down at Adella, who had stopped crying and had just chosen to lay against her for comfort. That was fine. Eileen could understand.

O

Astrid was gone.

Adella had been silent while they continued their journey through the woods. She saw brief flashes in her head; Astrid being pinned to the floor with the Witch carving into her head, screams from her dearest friend and pleas for the agony to stop.

_My fault..._

Eileen and Henryk walked ahead and were talking about their next stop when they noticed that Adella wasn't following them. They paused, turned and found her leaning against the tree, rubbing her eyes. Henryk sighed and approached her first.

"You have no reason to continue following us," he told her. "Your friend is gone."

Adella reacted with a soft gasp and looked up at them. Eileen strangely said nothing on the matter, but her silence seemed to indicate that she agreed with Henryk.

The nun wasn't sure. She didn't want to be alone, even if there was no other reason to continue traveling with them. But Adella didn't want to be alone, especially now. The Hunters could still have a use for her and her blood, so she would devote her life to aiding them as she could.

"I'm coming, forgive me." she said, quietly.

The trio continued on through the woods until they reached the entrance of a graveyard. The stones were cracked; some of them had been completely broken in two. There was a puddle of water in the center of the graveyard that wriggled with worms.

"Something's wrong here," Henryk said, looking around cautiously. "This Grave carries a secret. Something we're not meant to know."

"Let's go. I don't like it here." Eileen said. "The smell..."

The trio found themselves at the College of Byrgenwerth; a seemingly abandoned building set near the Moonside Lake. The moon was high and full, casting an almost beautiful glow down below.

"Look at this place..." Eileen said, marveling at the sight of the building ahead. "To think of how many of those seeking enlightenment walked these halls."

Adella looked around warily. "Do you think we'll find anyone here?"

"Do we ever find people where we go anymore?" Henryk asked, sadly.

That was true.

The three continued toward the building until a strange hissing sound stopped them where they stood. Eileen drew her sword and Henryk clutched his axe.

"Stay close," Eileen advised.

Adella pointed up and gave a quiet gasp. The Hunters followed her glance and spotted a creature crouched in the trees. It had twenty-seven eyes in a large, bulbous head. Its body was clothed in tattered robes of the Choir and it had tiny, broken fly-like wings.

"What is that?" Henryk whispered.

The creature swayed back and forth, studying the Hunters and nun with intrigued chirps and hisses.

"What do you want?" Adella asked it.

The creature stopped and became absolutely still before its hands went to its head, clutching the thick, sticky flesh. It gave a collection of rattling hisses and chirps that seemed to build louder and louder into a deafening hum.

The Hunters and nun immediately covered their ears, attempting to block out the horrible sound. Looking up, several more of the same creature joined the first and charged, screeching out. Their cries sounded like metal being rubbed together.

The Hunters cut down the creatures without difficulty; blades swinging, blood spraying. While the sound seemed easy to block out over the noise of flesh tearing and the creatures screeching in agony, it was still no less unpleasant to the nun.

One of the creatures jumped onto Eileen and she gave a shout, trying to throw it from her. Adella quickly pulled out the knife she had been given and buried it deep into the back of the creature, sending it falling from Eileen with a horrible scream.

The Hunter looked down at the sight, and then nodded her approval to her. "Good work, Adella." she said. "We'll make a Hunter out of you yet."

Adella smiled, but winced with disgust and shook the gooey strings that had drenched her hand from the creature's head.

"Oh! Oh, that's horrid!" she said, with dismay.

Eileen couldn't resist her laugh. "Come on, then. Let me clean you up."

Adella allowed Eileen to wipe down her hand. Once she was finished, Eileen glanced out toward the lake, where the moon was high and the waters shimmered. The three stepped down from their horses, tied them up and both the nun and the older woman watched the water.

"It's lovely," Adella continued, with a smile, "Such a blessed sight under the circumstances."

"Hm, it is." Eileen agreed, quietly.

Henryk walked up to the enormous wooden door of the college. The other two eventually joined and they worked together to push it open.

A rush of stale air greeted them and Adella - being the only one without a face cover - looked away, wracked with violent coughs. Eileen was the first inside and Henryk followed her. After a moment, Adella joined them.

"Well, if this Hunter enjoys a collective of dust, we will find him here..." Adella quipped.

A few chuckles from the two Hunters in front of her. She was attempting to lighten the mood a bit, they could understand such a thing.

The building was filled with rows upon rows of books that reached the ceiling, jars filled with gray fluid and eyes, and empty cages. Some of them were occupied with dried, dead husks that looked like worms.

Adella bent down in front of one and noticed that it was in fact a Celestial Larvae. She had seen notes taken about them during her teachings, but never had she seen one herself.

"Fascinating!" she said.

Eileen looked around before noticing a flight of stairs leading to the second floor. She made her way up and suddenly stopped.

"Henryk." she said, evenly. Her voice carried only the smallest hint of concern.

The Hunter followed her and stopped as well. "Gods..."

Lying on the couch was Yurie, the Last Scholar; she had been one of their marks, but she was now lying with her whip wrapped tightly around her throat and her head had been forced back over the arm of the couch.

"He's been here," Eileen said, looking around at the destruction. "This is his handiwork."

Adella soon joined the Hunters and when she saw Yurie, her hands shot to her mouth and her eyes widened in horror.

"Dear Gods!" she exclaimed.

Eileen walked up to the deceased Hunter and removed her blindfold cap, groaning at the lack of eyes in her face. They were freshly cut from her head.

Adella reacted to the sight and a small flash of Astrid's face filled her head. She looked away with a small whimper and Eileen glanced at her briefly.

"Disgusting." she said, covering the woman's face once more.

Adella looked up at them. "Why does he do this?"

"For sport. For fun. We don't ask, we simply seek to silence his bloody games." Eileen said, coldly. "He has made the title 'The Bloody Crow of Cainhurst' his own. Cutting out the eyes of a Choir Scholar. He did it to mock them. To spit in the face of their attempts at enlightenment."

"Do you think he's still here?" Adella asked, frightened by the idea.

"No. If he was, we would be fighting him now," Henryk told her. "But the blood is still warm. He's been here recently."

Eileen looked toward the Lunarium doors and made her way toward them; they were partially cracked open and the glow of the moon passed between them. She split her blade into two and slowly approached.

"Stay close to me, Adella." she advised.

The nun nodded her head.

Once they stepped outside, Eileen immediately recoiled with a groan. Adella's eyes widened and Henryk grunted with disgust.

Master Willem was lying dead in his chair with his cane sticking deep in his chest. A puddle of blood had formed around him.

"Is he sending us a message?" Adella asked.

"I don't know." Eileen replied. "But this...this isn't hunting. This is slaughter. Mindless slaughter for the sake of his petty delights."

Henryk looked over his shoulder briefly. "But why here? Why the college?"

"It was in his line of sight." Eileen said, with a cold hiss in her words. "You know him and his lust for blood. He has no need for motive."

Adella looked at her for a moment before speaking. "Hunter... this man - "

"He is no man." Eileen interrupted.

Adella made a face. "I...understand that you don't see him as such," she continued, hesitantly, "But did he do more to warrant your wrath? I only ask because I have seen Hunters driven by vengeance and it could do no good."

Eileen stared at her and Henryk watched the other Hunter warily.

He knew this was particularly sensitive for the older woman to speak of.

O

Adella stared at the lake from the lookout. She kicked her legs out absently beneath her before she heard footsteps behind her. Eileen had walked out and tilted her head at the sight of the nun.

"Ah, this is where you are," she said.

"Yes, I thought the view was nice up here." Adella replied, with a smile. "It gives me a place to think."

Eileen approached and took a seat beside her to look out at the lake. "I couldn't sleep, so perhaps I'll take your example."

"I see. I welcome your presence, Good Hunter."

It was interesting to have her sit here beside her, but Adella was happy with it regardless. They started to talk a little and Eileen eventually began to discuss times long past with the nun. Adella didn't feel that it was appropriate to interrupt her in any way.

"I was younger then when he arrived at my village," Eileen told the nun. "You understand the stories of the nobles of Cainhurst? How they boast immortality?"

Adella nodded her head. "I have."

"They could still die by other means, but they are rendered ageless by their consumption of blood." Eileen explained. "The Bloody Crow did not earn his title simply by growing fat like them. He sought places to slaughter women and children to bring blood to his accursed mistress. And my village was on his list."

I was hunting alone the night he came. When I returned, I found my home in flames. Along with the corpses of dear friends and family. Raped. Some of them he had his armies impale in mockery to our Sky Burial rituals. And while I sought survivors, I found my sister beneath his boots, slaughtered like a simple Beast while he drank her blood. And the creature had the audacity to don our robes. Few survived and those who did were pushed further to the north toward our sister village."

Adella looked horrified. "Gods...what sort of man is he?"

Eileen was still so calm when she spoke, but there was a sadness there now. "I do not see him as a man, as I've told you. Consuming blood will do terrible things to a person. But him? I will find the creature who ravaged my home and end him."

Adella didn't know how she could comfort the Hunter. No words would ever be enough to rid Eileen of the terrible burden she carried. Even at the loss of her dearest friend; it was nothing compared to the loss of her village and the family who had suffered.

The Hunter looked down when Adella hesitantly placed a hand over hers. The gesture was shy; she was still as timid as always.

"I'm sorry," Adella told her, quietly. "I understand that isn't enough, but..."

Eileen glanced down at her before placing her other hand over the nun's. Adella looked surprised by the responsive gesture.

"Thank you, Adella." she said.

The nun smiled at her and shyly lowered her eyes.

Eileen tilted her head at the gesture. "You certainly are a timid thing." she said. "How did you ever become a member of the Church?"

Adella laughed softly. "My mother, actually. She was a member of the Choir and allowed for me to become who I am today. I was educated in the ways of the Church since I was very little." she said. "My father was a farmer and earned a living selling livestock and produce."

Ah. That was a common thing among most of the Yharnam people, specifically those in the church. But Adella didn't seem like she fit in with the Church at all. She was far too timid and shy.

But perhaps Eileen judged too quickly. The nun had survived through their journey. Maybe there was more to her, though the Hunt did not call for virtuosity or purity.

It mattered little now. All she wanted to do was rest.


	4. IV

~O~

_Maledictus_

_Donum libas_

_Inficimur_

_Maledictus bestia_

Adella awoke from sleep, barely managing to make out the odd chant whispered so softly in the air. Eileen was sleeping on the floor, surrounded by books she had taken from the shelves and decided to read. She seemed to have a fondness for reading. Perhaps that came from a simpler time before she had been trained in the art of the Hunt. Many things seemed much simpler in their youth.

Adella had been sleeping on the nearby couch, using only a set of old, rather stale-smelling sheets she had managed to pilfer that had been used to cover a desk. It had been hard to sleep after seeing the things she had seen, but she managed to get a few hours of sleep, but awoke but the sounds of the chanting in the distance. She didn't know where it'd come from, but it was in her head.

_Maledictus_

_Pater do si donas._

_Inficimur_

_Argentum aquae in tenebris._

That chant; that horrible, Gods-forsaken chant. It seemed to resonate deep in Adella's head. It caused her temples to throb painfully, so she reached up and massaged them with her fingers.

Was she going mad?

_Mater sanguine_

_Redemptio risa se_

_Exciet exciet. Flebatur a salis._

The nun suddenly felt ill and decided she need to get some fresh air. She didn't want to wake Eileen, especially after that gruesome story she had shared, so perhaps letting her get some rest was necessary.

She made her way outside, passing Henryk who was sound asleep in a chair. He had his pistol and ax tightly close to his chest, ready to jump up at a moment's notice, most assuredly.

_Vale, vale,_

_Inficimur_

_In tenebris aquae._

_Maledictus_

_Et argentum aquae._

_Inficimur_

_Et argentum aquae._

Adella shuddered, holding her head in both hands in an effort to block out the horrid chanting that somehow felt louder. While she struggled, a tall, hooded being loomed over her. Adella furrowed her brow at the enormous shadow that engulfed her and she slowly turned.

The tall being was bare-footed, dressed in tattered rags with a human-like, yet empty expression on its face. It's skin was pasty gray, its eyes white. It slung a huge, patched bag over its shoulder.

A smile spread out across its face.

Adella's eyes widened and she screamed.

The sound immediately alerted Eileen and Henryk and they quickly awoke from sleep. Eileen looked around frantically for signs of the nun and she scrambled to her feet.

"Adella?" she called, "Adella!"

She rushed down the stairs and found Henryk already rushing out of the door. The Hunter followed him and they watched the hooded being walking away in the distance, carrying something wriggling in the bag. It looked to have been stabbed once given the blood trickling down its neck, but otherwise unperturbed by the wound. Adella had possibly tried to defend herself from it.

"It's a Snatcher!" Henryk cried.

"Help me!" Adella yelled, from the bag, "Please!"

The two rushed after the Snatcher, but the sound of Adella's shouts and pleas for help had eventually drawn the attention of wild dogs and Huntsmen. Several of them appeared from the trees and obstructed the path the Hunters needed to take to save Adella.

"Dammit!" Eileen cursed. "Adella!"

The Hunstmen gave shouts and charged in for the Hunters, wielding pitchforks, torches and rifles. While chaos ensued between them, Patches watched the sight from above on the Lunarium lookout with amusement.

Eileen jumped, ducked and rushed through the group of Huntsmen, cutting them down easily in her path. The Snatcher seemed to shudder before its entire body was cast in eerie black and red light. He was soon to transport away, leaving no signs of his presence.

"No!" Eileen shouted. "Stop! Let her go, filth!"

The Snatcher vanished in a swirl of light, just as Eileen dove at the creature with her swords blurring through the air. But it vanished just as she swiped, and the Hunter was sent falling to the dirt with a grunt.

Henryk rushed to her side to help her stand. "Eileen, he's gone..."

Eileen grunted with effort and began pacing in circles. "Where do the Snatchers go?" she demanded, "We must retrieve Adella!"

"Eileen." Henryk tried to talk to her over the growing volume of her voice. This was certainly a side to the Hunter he rarely saw. He wasn't quite sure how to handle it at the moment. "Eileen!"

She stopped pacing and looked at him. "Don't waste time, Henryk! We must find her!"

Patches started laughing and scurried down the length of the building, drawing their attention.

"My, my, my," he said, with a grin on his pasty face, "What an unfortunate situation we've found ourselves in! Your little lamb has gone and found herself snatched away by the Snatchers."

"Do you know where they would go?" Eileen demanded, advancing. "Speak quickly!"

Patches laughed with delight and his spider arms quivered. "Oh, it pains me to see you so distraught. You've made yourself a misreckoning. It's plain as a pikestaff. Now, say in my heart, you were as a lamb to my God. Well, you weren't to know, and it wasn't for you to know. All's well, that ends well, I say."

"I will speak clearly, and you will listen..." Eileen warned.

Patches smirked at her. "I'm listening."

Eileen pulled out her pistol and pointed it in his face.

Patches' smile thinned warily. "I'm listening intently."

"You clearly know something about where the Snatchers have taken Adella," Eileen fought to speak calmly, though her voice was betraying the faintest hint of rage. "Now speak."

"Your dear Adella was taken," Patches told her, "Now that is obvious, but where to? Ah, to a place Unseen."

"Unseen?" Henryk asked, confused. "What do you mean by 'Unseen'?"

"And, my dead compeer, I vow once more to ease your burden!" Patches informed him, spider leg raised. "What do you know of that which is not seen? A place on this mortal plane!"

"Unseen..." Eileen thought about this.

After a few moments, she made her way back to the college and Patches scurried after her. Henryk sighed and shook his head, following the other Hunter. This seemed like a distraction to lead them away from the Bloody Crow. To him, anyway.

"Eileen, this feels very strange." he told her.

"I don't care," Eileen said, paging through several books hurriedly. She wasn't satisfied with the lack of answers. "I will not lose another. Too much blood has been shed on HIS account. And I will not allow it to continue."

"You don't think he had anything to do with the Snatcher, do you?"

"I would not put it passed a dog who tears at the bones of children."

Henryk sighed, but nodded his head. He didn't want to argue further. "Very well."

Patches buried himself in piles of books, letting out a chuckle. "Truly, you are an indubitable, irrefutable friend!" he told her.

"Hush." Eileen ordered, more even now.

She paged through a book and paused, tilting her head at the mention of Yahar'gul, Unseen Village. Of course. It was coming back to her. She remembered her knowledge of this place; a sight where a great cataclysm had occurred, rendering the village uninhabitable.

Except for Beasts and those who rung the Accursed Bells.

"Of course!" she said. "Why didn't I see it before?"

"The curse of affection!" Patches said, with a small amused sound. "Ends most men than a serrated blade, I always say!"

Eileen flicked the beak of her mask sharply in his direction.

"How do we reach the village?" she asked.

"Did you not hear me?" Patches told her, "'Step lightly round to the right of the great cathedral, and seek an ancient, shrouded church'."

"Shrouded church..." Eileen pondered this before nodding. "Alright, let's go."

Patches grinned. "Oh! This will be a show to remember!"

O

Adella didn't know where the Snatcher was taking her, but she could hear the same chanting as before, only it was louder and seemed to surround her. Where was she going? What did the Snatcher want with her? She could barely see outside of her bag except for glimpses of torches and disturbing statues. There were voices echoing in the distance, but she couldn't see people.

Before Adella could do anything else, she heard the sound of what she guessed was a cell door. She gave a cry when she was thrown from the bag. Her face contacted cold, wet earth and before the nun could think to run, the door was shut behind her.

"Ah, no, please!" she begged, rushing and tugging at the cell bars. "You can't leave me here! Please!"

"Mm yesssss," a rasping voice in a cell across from her whispered, "We know you're innocent. They ALWAYS are."

Adella looked at the shape in the cell. A woman reduced to nothing more than a tattered, fleshy skeleton without eyes. She was so thin, Adella was sure that a single gust of air would blow her away.

Her eyes fell to the feet of this woman; caught between the change of Beast. Her toenails had ended in long, dangerous claws.

"What do they want with us?" Adella asked, struggling to keep her voice strong. "And those moans..."

The woman in the cell chuckled before uttering several horrible coughs. "They echo in the distance...the Scholars did things. Things they tried to hide away in secret. But the truth always comes forward, no matter how deep we bury it."

Adella thought about the woman's words. "So, the hunt is on tonight...even here?"

The woman let out a bark of laughter. "There are Hunters here, yes. But I don't think you'll want to be meeting them any time soon, love."

The laugh she uttered ended in another fit of sticky coughing. Adella stared at her in silence before she sat down in the corner of her cell, holding her knees close to her chest. She could still hear the chanting, but there was also wild, mad laughter in the distance as well.

A reveling, a chorus of screams and cackles.

O

_Nightmarish rituals crave a newborn. Find one, and silence its harrowing cry._

The note was scratched deep into the stone. Eileen ran her fingers over the scratches and a closer inspection revealed that a nail from a human hand had been stuck in the stone and broken off. There were streaks of dried blood in the message scratched. Whoever had written this must have been driven by an unholy obsession to make certain it was known to whoever passed by.

The chanting was louder here and it gave the Hunters a headache. But they made an effort to ignore what was happening and find Adella.

Yahar'gul seemed to vibrate with a sound that made Eileen suddenly very dizzy. She swayed and leaned against the wall. Henryk reached for her.

"Eileen, are you alright?" he asked.

"This place..." she said, suddenly sounding very ragged in her words. "A sound... Do you hear it?"

Henryk nodded his head gravely, concern in his voice. "Maybe we should rest."

"No. We need to find Adella. I'll be fine. Don't worry."

Eileen pressed on, but the chanting and whispers felt like a terrible pressure in the frontal part of her brain. But the Hunter was strong in her resistance to the ways of the Nightmare. She would not falter. She couldn't.

Meanwhile, Adella had fallen asleep in her cell. Somehow, she had found slumber by weeping like a frightened child and exhausting herself, but the noise of a creaking cell door awoke her. For the moment, she felt her heart stop, expecting to be dragged away somewhere.

But no one was there.

The cell door was open.

Confused, but cautious, Adella stood up and slowly approached the cell door, looking around for signs of Beasts, crazed humans and those hulking Snatchers. But all she heard were cries and wails in the distance. No footsteps. Nothing that would alert her to any approaching threat.

Fortunately, she still had the knife Eileen had given her, so she drew it out and made her way out of the cell. It hadn't deterred the Snatcher that had taken her, but it was still better than nothing.

She passed the cell that housed the woman, but jumped back with a cry when what was once that same woman reached for her through the bars, snarling and slavering. Adella stared at her with anguish; the woman was gone and her human-like features were soaked in blood, evidence of clawing her own cheeks.

Her teeth were razor sharp and fur had grown around her eyes sockets and mouth. She was screeching and snarling, swiping at Adella in a crazed attempt to reach her and tear her apart. The sight was both frightening and sad.

"I'm sorry." Adella told the monstrosity. "Please...forgive me."

She buried her knife deep into the skull of the creature and the snarls stopped. Once she tugged her knife free, the creature fell in a heap to the floor, jaws locked open in a permanent grimace.

Blood began to pool around Adella's feet and she backed away, sickened by the sight. She had never had to take the life of anyone before, even one caught between the horrible transformation of Beast.

"Oh Gods..." she whispered.

She continued on, desperately hoping she could get out of this nightmarish place alive.

There was a chattering sound, followed by a collection of giggles. Adella looked over toward the shadows and a hunched figure lunged out at her with a screech.

The nun was thrown roughly back and she struggled to hold back the creature - which ended up being a woman with Beast-like nails, a hooded face and pasty, grotesque skin. She had little to no teeth in a mouth that pulled up in a wicked grin.

Adella struggled beneath the weight of the woman and her eyes widened as she drew out a scoop from her satchel.

"I love your eyes!" the woman snarled, with a mad, raspy giggle between words, "Pretty...so very pretty...like little amber pebbles! Let me have them!"

Another flash of Astrid's suffering filled the nun's mind and gave her a surge of strength that she had never felt before in her life.

Adella screamed with pain and rage and managed to retrieve her knife, slicing at the woman's face. She recoiled with a rattling screech of agony before swiping at the nun in retaliation, cutting her scoop into Adella's chest.

The nun turned and fled with the woman in pursuit. Wretched Eye Collectors. Of COURSE she'd cross paths with them in this terrible place.

The woman pursued her out into the streets, to which Adella managed to find cover beneath a statue of Amygdala; a Great One. The Eye Collector rushed outside, snarling with effort and desperation before passing the nun, still screaming about "wanting her eyes".

Adella looked down at the cut on her chest and winced.

"Please..." she moaned.

She had to sit down, just for a little while and tend to it.

Taking a seat on a stone surface for a moment, she took in her surroundings through a dizzying haze of pain; flashes of memories of the village before it had been abandoned, reflections of a quieter time before the chorus of voices and death around her.

A flash in her mind.

Mad giggling and distorted faces filled her head; ghosts of the past who had been mutilated from something truly horrifying, twisted and deformed from an experiment gone wrong.

Adella looked up and she muffled a cry at the sight of several human forms melded into the wall behind her. Their faces were skeletal, frozen in grimaces of horror. Hands seemed to have been fused in the middle of attempting to escape something.

She backed away and looked to her left, seeing a shadowy form of a tattered, robed man with eyes missing. He grinned at her, brought a finger to his lips and shushed her before flickering out of sight. She whimpered and slapped two hands over her eyes, not wanting to see any more of this terrible place and its gruesome memories. But she was a Blood Saint. She saw more than she wanted to see.

This horrible place...it tormented with her mind.

Meanwhile, Eileen and Henryk had split up in hopes of covering more ground.

She was wandering down the narrow roads of the Unseen Village, blades held close and at the ready.

**I've seen you come here willingly.**

Eileen whirled, stunned to hear a calm, but familiar voice behind her. She lowered her blades, unable to fathom what she looked at.

No.

No, that wasn't possible.

A familiar dark-skinned woman, wearing tattered Crowfeather clothes was standing there. She had similar angular features as Eileen, but she was younger, just as she had remembered her the day before she died.

It was Eileen's sister.

But she knew that this was a trick. Her "sister" had nothing but pitch black eyes and a gaping wound on her neck and chest.

Eileen looked around and knew something was sure to come out at any moment. The image of her sister caught in the final moments of her life was possibly being used to weaken her resolve. The young woman was smiling calmly, but there was something about that smile that made the Hunter's back shudder.

"You are not my sister." she said, coldly.

The girl laughed gently. Despite the youthful manner of her laugh, her voice carried a certain age to it. A power that simply radiated the air around them.

**Today I am a young woman of the hinterlands,** she told her.

Eileen looked down, and then up, spotting the spider-like beings clinging to the surfaces of buildings and walls. Their almond-shaped heads with faceless features. The pulsating brains within the spider-web flesh.

Amygdala.

She knew because of her treatments she had received in the past that her heightened senses would see them. Most did not.

Her sister tilted her head, raising an eyebrow at her. **You know who I am now, yes?** she asked, her voice like that of a scolding mother.

"Yes..." Eileen said, cautious.

**I don't wish to harm you,** the woman told her, with a gentle smile. **I wish to share a secret while you make your journey.**

Eileen nodded her head. "Very well. I will hear you."

**The secrets won't ever stay hidden,** the woman continued, **The ones you bury. The ones you keep close to your heart. They will be shown to the world. The sands of time fall against you, Eileen. I have foreseen this.**

Eileen was silent, considering the words of this false image of her sister. She turned and continued on foot. The hallucination of the woman followed silently behind her. The way she spoke carried all the ancient wisdom that even a grown adult was not wont to have. It was eerie, especially considering that the voice was of her long-dead sister.

**What are you looking for?** the woman asked, with a curious sound.

"Nothing." Eileen replied, hoping the Great One would lose interest in her.

It was never really good when one of the Celestial Beings took interest in someone. So whether or not SHE was just bored or genuinely intrigued by her, Eileen didn't want to know. She NEVER wanted to know. She had hoped that the thing would become bored and leave her.

**Lies are nothing you can bear before me,** the woman said, with a warm chuckle, **I see them, as you would see colors in the canvas of all mortal beings. As you taste the wind, I can taste your lies.**

There was no maliciousness in her voice, but a certain sympathy.

"I am simply looking for someone. I mean no trouble otherwise." Eileen told her. "Allow me to leave and I will not insult you any further."

The woman's brow knotted and she smiled. **If you had insulted me, you would be dead by now, human. Most of you are so predictably boring that an insult to me would take far more of an effort to bring about.**

Eileen was uncertain of whether or not she should speak.

**The woman you seek has escaped from her prison,** the being continued, **But you will not save her in this state.**

"I don't understand," Eileen said.

The woman chuckled and shook her head. **Don't be prideful. I understand what drives you, Hunter. And it is certainly not ambition. One does not walk into this world simply for the view. One does not accept curses because it works for them.**

She pointed now, toward the chapel.

**She is there. Go to her if you must. But your child-like wonder in one another is of no aid to you in life. It will end as it always does. Do not cling to hope. It is forsaken in this world.**

The woman vanished and Eileen looked around before she glanced up toward a single Amygdala perched just above the chapel it had indicated. The faceless being gestured with one long, terrible hand.

Eileen was frozen, unable to move as she felt her aged body reawaken with something she hadn't felt before in years.

_No..._

O

A Chime Maiden stood nearly at every corner of each building, observing the emptiness below. Adella was watching them as she carefully made her way down small alleys and corners. She heard a Scourge Beast snarling and quickly pressed her back against the wall, hoping it would not see her.

_Don't run from me, darling. I promise not to hurt you._

Another giggle and Adella shook her head rapidly to rid herself of the voice. She peered out from her corner to the creature again.

This one was different from the other Beasts she had seen; instead this creature seemed to be made of raw flesh and sharp bones fused together, showing a rib-cage which resembled a maw and a mutilated leg where a tail should be.

The Scourge Beast was walking with a Hunter. Adella peered around the corner and noticed the man was almost completely unclothed, save for a spiked helmet on his head and a set of razor claws on his wrists. His back was riddled with terrible marks; reminiscent of whip scars.

Suddenly, the Scourge Beast stopped and began to sniff the air. Adella looked down, noticing that she had left a trail of blood in her path.

"Oh Gods..." she whispered.

The Scourge Beast gave a roar and shoved its head into the alley, jaws snapping. Adella cried out in fright, watching as the creature struggled to fit its body through the narrow alley. Finally, she turned and ran.

The Hunter accompanying the Beast let out a loud, war-like call. Several other Scourge Beasts as well as Chime Maidens were alerted to the sound and now, Adella had the full attention of the twisted aberrations of Yahar'gul.

O

A Beast was rushing through the Unseen Village at full speed. It stopped at a puddle of Adella's blood, where the Eye Collector had wounded her, stopping to sniff it once before a deep, terrifying snarl ripped from its throat. The scent was strong, fresh. She had been here not too long ago.

The same Eye Collector who had wounded her and sought Adella was wandering about, calling for the "amber-eyed lovely".

The Beast gave another snarl and charged for the woman, moments before she realized what was coming.

She gave a scream, seconds as claws and teeth flashed in the shadows and a spray of blood splashed across the wall.

Meanwhile, Adella was fleeing from a pack of Scourge Beasts and the Hunter who had called them. She managed to flee into a corner and whirled, just as the creatures slowly stalked toward her.

"No..." Adella whimpered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please!"

The Scourge Beasts surrounded her at every corner, snarling and dripping saliva from their twisted jaws. It was a horrid sight, but no more terrifying as the Hunter who led them. The man who chuckled wickedly and dragged his claws together, as if savoring a meal.

Adella began to pray, her voice shaking with pain and terror. She backed away as far as she could. "Oh, merciful gods, help me..." she moaned, tears filling her eyes. "Oh! Please, Leave me be... Don't Take me..." The Beasts continued to slowly advance; one tilting its head at her prayer, and her voice raised higher with distress. "Please... Oh, please, dear Gods. In the name of the Healing Church, cleanse us of this horrible dream… In the name of the…"

Adella looked up at the sound of a new Beast and was shocked to see a large, feathered monstrosity emerge from behind the wall she had been cornered up against. It crawled on all fours at first, then rose on two legs, hissing thickly.

She had never seen a Beast like this.

It was larger that a Scourge Beast and covered head to toe in black, sticky feather-like fur. It had large, massive arms that ended in deadly claws and feet with hooked talons. These were sufficient tools proper necessary to disembowel a poor Hunter. But that face was the most horrifying; a long, terrible head that looked almost avian in appearance. It had large, finely-tipped ears and ghostly blue eyes.

The Scourge Beasts backed away for the moment, confused by the strange creature. It didn't take long before one lunged for Adella. The nun raised her arms to her head, anticipating gruesome death.

Instead, what happened next shocked not only her, but the Beasts and Hunter standing there.

The new Beast - with eyes that glittered almost humanly - that had appeared drew back its fist and punched the Scourge Beast hard. The monster was sent tumbling to the floor in a twisted mass of limbs and flesh. Adella watched in muted disbelief as the new creature began to brutally beat the Scourge Beast with its fists, snarling with effort.

A...Beast. Killing another Beast?

_Impossible!_

The Scourge Beasts watching gave a chorus of howls and dove at the newest threat. One of them jumped onto the back of the Beast and the creature screamed out in rage and pain, grasping at the enemy several times in an effort to remove it. It managed to seize the Scourge Beast by the leg and throw it viciously into several others.

Adella couldn't breathe, she couldn't move.

The sounds of fighting faded as she slowly lost consciousness.

O

Adella was only partially conscious when she felt a sensation of warmth surrounding her. That familiar sweet smell filled her nostrils.

She opened her eyes slightly, noticing the sticky, damn fur that comforted her cheeks. It had a smell to it... But the Beast was near; she felt almost smothered by its aroma. And she felt so dizzy that every bit of strength she may have had was drained.

"Please..." Adella mumbled. "Please don't hurt me..."

Well, naturally the Beast would not respond and Adella felt herself lifted in massive arms. She noticed the movement of the buildings fading away into the distance, the whipping of the wind against her face.

_It's a dream. It must be..._

Finally, she heard the Beast grunt deeply; she felt every muscle in its arms clench tight and a sick feeling came over her as the ground disappeared beneath her feet. Adella wanted to scream, but she had no strength in her to do so. All she could do was await whatever fate had in store.

The Beast seemed to hold her tightly in its claws in a manner she did not feel was possible. She felt like the monster's bride, being carried away to her death.

Finally, the Beast seemed to contact ground because there was the sound of gravel and stone cracking, the harsh jerk of her body despite the fact that the monster held her close.

Adella was gently rested down and she felt the soft, comforting feel of an old arm chair. She struggled to focus on the bright blue eyes staring down at her through a veil of fur and blood. But the Beast quickly fled the room before she could regain her senses.

The Beast climbed into another window, uttering several harsh, almost human-like moans. Its body shuddered violently, the fur falling away like a cloak as it's change reverted into the human shape of Eileen.

She laid there, wracked with unholy spasms. Her bones ached and every breath in her lungs sent fire through her body.

The Hunter held herself, struggling to find warmth now that she was without fur, without her powerful beastly form. She was as naked as the day she was born and just as fragile.

Henryk was watching her from a chair, his eyes carefully averted. He let out a sigh.

"You haven't changed in seven years." he said. "You know what happens when you do. Soon, you may end up like - "

"Gascoigne, I know." Eileen snapped, already dressing herself.

"If the nun had known it was you," Henryk warned, "She would not have been as understanding as Viola."

Eileen paused in the middle of fitting her mask on her face. She thought about his words and knew he was right. Adella was an innocent and lovely young woman, but she was not Viola and she wouldn't be.

Viola had witnessed Eileen's transformation only once before. But the Hunter was a "sentient Beast" and one of the first few who had been afflicted during the Hunt. There were just a small group of Hunters and others who had experienced this oddity.

"Is she awake?" Henryk asked, snapping her from her thoughts.

Eileen started walking. "I'll check on her."

Henryk let out a resigned sigh. Should Adella ever learn of the Hunter's affliction, he knew she would feel fear and reject her. It was the way of the Church. It wasn't something he blamed her for, but his comrade's mental state of mind was important, especially when she was cursed by Beasthood.

The nun was just waking when Eileen approached her in the other room and lightly touched her shoulder. She jumped and gave a frightened cry, looking around wildly before she focused on the Hunter.

"The Beast..." she began.

Eileen feigned confusion. "What Beast?" she asked.

"The one that saved me!" Adella panted, eyes wide and delirious from her experience, "Where did it go?"

Eileen laughed softly. "A Beast saved you?"

"Yes! I swear by the Gods, a Beast saved me!"

"Adella..." Eileen said, gently. "You were dreaming. You passed out and I pulled you from the cell."

The cell.

Adella furrowed her brow in confusion. "I don't..." she tried. She shook her head adamantly. "No, that's not right. It can't be right! A Beast came and saved me from being killed! I wouldn't lie!"

"I know you won't," Eileen soothed, "But it was Henryk and I who found you. We brought you here to safety."

Adella looked like she was beginning to believe the Hunter's words, to which Eileen was grateful for. She hated the thought of lying to her in a way, but Henryk was right. Adella would not be ready for the truth.

"Maybe it was all in my mind..." Adella uttered a hysterical giggle. "I'm going mad. I'm going to lose my mind like the rest!"

Eileen shushed her gently. "Now stop that," she urged, putting her arm around the nun. "I'm just glad you're safe, is all."

Adella didn't want to question the gesture and how odd it felt for the Hunter to be suddenly so comforting, but she didn't care right now. She just leaned into Eileen's shoulder, burying her face in her coat.

"I keep seeing Beasts..." she moaned, her voice cracking with anguish, "So many...everywhere..."

Eileen sighed.

No, she would certainly not embrace the idea of her Beasthood.

What a sad thing that was...


	5. V

~O~

Eileen was asleep when Adella sought comfort beneath her arm. She blinked once and looked around, startled by the movement before looking down at the nun. Raising an eyebrow, she managed to smile.

"I'm...sorry," Adella said, embarrassed by her actions. "I was just - "

"It's fine." Eileen assured her, "Just stay and get some rest."

Adella nodded, but said nothing to her words and just leaned closer, drawing warmth from the Hunter's body. She dared to glance up at Eileen, who had her eyes closed; she seemed more relaxed now and the nun couldn't help but find herself staring. Thank goodness the Hunter did not know she was.

It felt so strange to be held this way, but the nun welcomed it. She wanted comfort and needed it however she could get it.

She also felt at odds in a sense about the conflicting feelings she had toward Eileen. The older woman was someone she felt both drawn to and repelled by; drawn to in a way she didn't understand and repelled by her in a way that she felt intimidated by her presence.

She thought about the Beast that had saved her life, unable to forget how bizarre it was. How unheard of that a creature born of the Scourge could feel the need to protect her. Had it been a dream all along though?

She saw flashes of the scene.

The Beast crouched in front of her.

Never allowing a single enemy to go near.

Taking scratches and bites from the Undead Scourge Beasts.

Whatever it was she had seen, it could not have been real. There was no possibility that a Beast would ever have sentience. She knew that they lost their humanity once transformed. Eileen had been right. She had been dreaming.

So she fell asleep, tucking her head closer to Eileen's chest.

The Hunter slept soundly, but her features eventually twisted and a soft, distressed murmur escaped her lips. She shifted a little, growling out with a mixture of fear and pain. Her movements stirred the nun from slumber and she lifted her head.

"What's happening to you..." Eileen mumbled, in her sleep, "Where is he? I'll kill him... I swear it! I'll..."

Adella reached up gently and touched the crown of the Hunter's head, earning a suddenly stiffening in Eileen's muscles. She gently petted her and it took a few moments before the Hunter calmed, murmuring a few unintelligible words.

"Mm..." Eileen stirred and her eyes opened slightly. She furrowed her brow. "Adella?"

"Forgive me." the nun said, "You were dreaming. It sounded horrible."

Eileen suddenly looked a little uncomfortable. It was an oddity on the Hunter. "Maybe I was." she replied, evenly. "But it's no matter."

Adella didn't speak on that, so she stayed quiet and just studied Eileen's features. The Hunter wiped a bit of sweat from her brow and then seemed to sense the nun staring. She met Adella's gaze and the nun quickly averted her eyes.

Eileen knotted her brow at the gesture. "What is it?" she asked.

"Nothing. I didn't mean to stare..." Adella answered.

Eileen wasn't too sure if that was truth or otherwise, but she stared at the nun with a raised eyebrow.

"It's rude, you know," she said, evenly.

Adella nodded, embarrassed. "I know..."

Eileen said nothing else on the matter and just watched her. Adella sensed her stare and looked up, her lips parting in confusion.

They stared at one another, not realizing how many minutes had passed. Adella didn't realize she had actually leaned forward to kiss the corner of Eileen's mouth. When the realization of what she had done hit her, her eyes widened and she flushed a deep crimson.

"I'm sorry!" she mumbled. "Oh Gods, I'm so sorry!"

Eileen smiled broadly and arched an eyebrow. "Now, now, you amaze me, nun!" she said, with a chuckle, "I'm old enough to be your grandmother!"

It was a ploy, really. Eileen was actually rather mortified by Adella's gesture. That wasn't supposed to happen; the nun wasn't supposed to have developed some silly little school-girl fantasy with her.

"What do you think you're doing?" Eileen laughed, shaking her head. "Kissing an old woman like me!"

But Eileen's humor died as soon as those words left her lips; she met Adella's stare, noticing the almost hurt there. She softened immediately with a sigh through her nose. Well, she hadn't intended to be cruel. Still, the notion was a bit startling, albeit intriguing all the same; Eileen had entertained thoughts of fancy with her a few moments before they arrived here, though she chastised herself internally for it.

She had wondered how old the nun was; those who were taken to the Healing Church were typically of early twenties. Eileen was much older than that and she felt a bit taken by how easily the nun had drawn herself to her.

They stared at each other, neither one speaking but feeling the sensation of the temperature between them growing significantly warmer.

Eileen's mouth parted just the slightest and there was that look in her eyes when she found something especially curious.

She didn't blame Adella, really.

Seeking comfort from the first thing that offered was really only a human thing to do. But Eileen would not be a placeholder.

Still, she couldn't take her eyes away from Adella's. The amber color of them and how they seemed to darken with all the wonder and curiosity she was wont to have when she found something she liked.

On Adella's end, she didn't know what the Hunter was thinking right now, even without her mask. Internally, she was mortified by her actions. The Hunter probably thought she was a fool! What had compelled her to do such a thing?

But her breathing stopped when Eileen moved her head closer, lowering her eyelids halfway that made her look quite tired.

Adella couldn't tell. But she was suddenly aware of her heart racing. Oh, she didn't look upset now. Instead, she seemed interested in kissing her again.

Eileen reached up and cupped her face, moving her lips closer to Adella's; the nun shuddered and swallowed thickly to calm herself. Eileen's mouth was barely against hers and she took another second of hesitating before she finally pressed her lips to the nun's.

Well, kissing Adella proved to be a little better than she thought, despite the nun's clumsy responses. Poor thing had no idea how to kiss properly - and Eileen suspected she had never been kissed before - but the effort she DID put into it certainly made the Hunter's chest constrict with pleasant heat. She had no idea just how much she needed to feel that contact until she had it.

Ah, that was the melody. THAT was what it felt like to share a kiss with someone else in so long. Eileen had almost forgotten what it felt like to share warmth like this with another. She felt sensations reawakening within her that had long been forgotten in her glory days of hunting.

The murmur that Adella uttered against her mouth, the way she melted into her was also something that tugged at her control. It wasn't really her fault. It had been so terribly long...

Gods help her.

When they finally managed to find the strength to part, they were both still breathless and leaned their foreheads together; Eileen still cupped her chin in one hand, gently running her thumb lightly against Adella's bottom lip, leaving a pleasant tingle in its wake.

The wrinkles around Eileen's eyes, the scars on her lip and cheek didn't deter Adella from her desire of her. She didn't care how old Eileen was. She wanted her comfort and her love.

"Alright then..." Eileen whispered.

Their mouths met again with renewed vigor; Eileen's breathless instructions on tilting her head a little, parting her lips so they could make the kiss a bit better had Adella dizzy. Her fingers clutched at Eileen's coat for something to hold onto, lost in the building sensations between them. This was so very nice and she certainly wanted much more.

She managed to find enough wits about her, so she did as the Hunter asked and slowly parted her lips. Eileen made a soft sound of approval and gently scraped her teeth across Adella's lower lip before slipping her tongue inside.

Well, that was certainly better as she said. Adella shyly attempted to mimic the move and it just made everything in the room grow unbearably hotter.

Their lips practically devoured one another and their breathless exhalations between each one - Adella's gasps and Eileen's pleasured rumbling sounds - fanned the flames dancing between them. The nun wasn't the best when it came to kissing, but she was certainly a quick learner.

_Don't let it get out of control._

The warning in Eileen's voice cut through the thick haze of want like a knife. What her body clearly needed, her mind warned against. So she parted from Adella, leaning the nun's lips trailing off in wonder as to where the Hunter had gone.

When she opened her eyes, she noticed that Eileen was looking away from her, clearly ashamed by what she had done. Adella's cheeks were flushed, her eyes glossy and she was quietly attempting to catch her breath.

Sure it was her fault, the nun began to toy with her hands; a gesture she often did that Eileen caught.

"I'm - I'm sorry." she stammered, "I didn't mean to - "

"Stop apologizing," Eileen said, with an edge; but not intended to her, "It's not your fault. The fault is mine for clearly attempting to take advantage of the situation."

Adella looked lost, frowning somewhat. "I'm sorry? I don't understand." she told her. "I'm not a child. I understand how a kiss works."

Eileen raised an eyebrow at her and the nun managed to laugh sheepishly.

"Perhaps that was a bit of a lie," she admitted, "I've never actually kissed anyone before. But I'm not entirely ignorant to the ideas of intimacy."

"But you still don't understand," Eileen argued, "I cannot simply use you. I'm not..." She hesitated, licking her lips. "I'm no Beast."

A lie, clearly, but one that the nun didn't need to know.

Adella smiled, lowering her eyes and running her hand gently against Eileen's arm. "I'm old enough to make my own thoughts on the matter."

"And you feel as though you want me..."

Adella didn't answer. She seemed a bit apprehensive of the thought, but Eileen suspected for other reasons. She knew the woman was probably inexperienced even in the ways of touching someone else. Well, that would make much more sense than her previous suspicions.

"I feel...differently about you," Adella finally admitted, leaning against the Hunter, craving more contact between them, "And it isn't as if I'm entirely ignorant to these things."

"But you haven't done that before."

Adella blushed again and managed a nervous giggle. The conversation felt so utterly scandalous, but she found herself thrilling at it either way. Oh Gods, what would they think of her? "Well, of course not. I was a member of the Healing Church and my time was devoted to other things. But it's not as if I haven't spent the windows of my free time...self-exploring these matters."

When she realized what she had said, her eyes widened and she hid her face in Eileen's arm with a small groan . Eileen crowed with laughter now, unable to help herself. She wasn't surprised that the nun spent her free time self-exploring her own body, but that she had told her about it. Such things were rather taboo to speak of among the Church.

"Really?" she said, grinning, "I appreciate you sharing that with me."

Adella shook her head, still keeping it buried in the Hunter's arm. "Gods...I didn't mean to say that..."

Eileen found her innocence to be precious. It only made it that more difficult refusing her, but for the nun's safety. And really, it was also for the sake of their mission. She knew Adella would form attachments to her and nothing was ever certain in the journey they made together. Either one of them could meet their end; either by the blade, or by the claws of a Beast.

The Hunter kissed the top of Adella's head, a tender gesture. "Don't ask for something if you're not sure..."

Adella wrapped her fingers in Eileen's coat, holding herself closer to her. "I am."

"Adella..."

"Please...just let me forget what exists out there," Adella pleaded quietly against the Hunter's neck. "And show me what is here."

Eileen could feel her chest clench tight with heat and need. She gently brushed her lips against the corner of the nun's jawline before whispering in her ear.

"Alright then."

O

_Alright then._

Adella felt her entire body hum when Eileen confirmed her approval to what they were about to do. She was entirely ready to experience the Hunter, but at the same time, entirely not so. It would be the first time she'd allow anyone to touch her so intimately and Adella knew that it was often messy and strange the first time. Surely a Hunter of experience would be disappointed by her.

No, she couldn't have doubt about it now. Not when she finally had Eileen here, ready and willing to show her such wonderful pleasures.

Eileen started off very slow; she was urging the nun's robes down off of her shoulder so that she could gently kiss her exposed skin. The shivers that ran down Adella's back raised goosebumps all over her shoulders. Every contact of her lips felt frozen and fiery all at once. Gods above, she couldn't believe this was actually happening.

After a few moments, the Hunter noticed how tense Adella was and how she seemed to startle at any movement she made. It was a bit concerning and she paused in her explorations, glancing down at her.

"Adella." Eileen said.

The nun gave her a nervous look. "Give me a moment."

"What?"

"Please."

Eileen scooted away a bit, frowning, but obliging the request. She watched Adella lean back a bit on the long couch they had chosen to rest on. She watched her seemingly attempt to gather her courage - which was understandable. Eileen herself was nervous too, but it was because it had been so long since she'd done this. She wanted to please the woman who offered up her body and make the first time memorable for her for as long as they had together.

After a moment, Adella contemplated something, then leaned back and gave Eileen a shy little smile. "I think I'm ready now." she said.

Eileen smiled in return, settling herself comfortably on top of her. The weight of the Hunter on top of her was utterly warm and so very pleasant. After a few moments of sharing a kiss, Adella winced and squirmed beneath her.

"Maybe we should try the floor." she suggested, "This couch is much too small for two of us. I think we need room for this, yes?"

Eileen chuckled. "Yes, of course."

Adella gave a surprised squeak when Eileen slipped her arms beneath her and carried her over to a small pile of sheets and furs she had pilfered from one of the abandoned rooms. Gently laying her down, Eileen then moved to lay on top of her once more, slowly and carefully. It was apparent in this position that Eileen was bigger than her, and it was thrilling to have her loom over Adella in such a way.

The nun was satisfied with how gentle Eileen was being. It was hard to imagine how one who had brought down Beasts and mad Hunters with ferocity could really give such gentleness all at the same time.

Eileen was careful unclothing the nun, moving slowly so that she would stop as soon as Adella asked for it.

Once she finished the task of removing her robes, Adella's hands instinctively went to cover her breasts; a timid gesture. Eileen chuckled gently and shook her head, urging her hands away.

"You don't have anything to worry about," she said, "Let me see."

"But I'm not..." Adella murmured, "I'm not sure I'm as beautiful as you hope me to be..."

Eileen's lips parted in surprise at the self-deprecating words from the nun. She frowned now and shook her head, gently pulling Adella's hands away from her breasts. She gave one a soft kiss before giving the other the same treatment. Such gentle benedictions to her sensitive flesh; the attention made Adella's eyes close and a shudder run through her body. Oh, that was very nice, indeed. Her mind begged for more, to throw all caution to the wind and let herself feel.

"There's no need to be shy, love." Eileen assured her. "Not with me. And do not think so less of your beauty. You are beautiful."

Adella flushed and it seemed to run down the entire length of her body. "It's nice...but it's not true..."

"Oh, hush," Eileen chided gently; she ghosted her lips across the nun's exposed collar bone, scraping her teeth lightly against her skin, "I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

During her lip's explorations, she noticed a little scar on Adella's neck - it looked like something that had happened from a knife and Eileen was momentarily concerned by the sight for a moment before she decided not to think on it right now.

Adella seemed to think about something before she smiled up at her. "How long have you wanted me?"

"How long?" Eileen repeated, pausing once. She was taken by the question before she looked suddenly abashed. She scratched her head with one hand and looked less like an experienced Hunter and more like someone who had never held a sword in their life. "Well...perhaps my curiosity began when I tended to you at the barn. I thought it was a foolish, fleeting thing. Perhaps we were both alone and need the same thing."

"Really? My,I had no idea."

"I don't tend to make declarations of affection often."

Adella managed a nervous laugh before she glanced up and down at the Hunter who was still reasonably clothed.

"Could I see?" she said.

Eileen smirked at her, kissing the nun against the back of her ear while gently caressing one of her breasts with one warm hand. It made Adella squirm pleasantly beneath her and the Hunter felt her nipple harden against her palm. She rubbed her thumb against it. A gentle kiss to one breast had Adella running her hand through Eileen's hair, holding her head right where she loved it.

"You shouldn't be surprised by what you see," Eileen eventually said, "I know you've already looked."

Adella looked suddenly mortified. "I-I didn't mean-"

"It's all right," Eileen laughed gently. "You were curious. I wasn't angry with you. Though I admit that I feel flattered that you find me pleasing to look at; especially since I'm nothing more than an old, exhausted Hunter."

"You're more than that to me..." Adella argued, teasing her fingers against the back of her neck.

Eileen thought about her words and how they made her heart tighten with heat. Adella truly meant them. It simply spurred her on further to please her, to make this evening one she would remember.

Another kiss to her breast and Eileen cupped the soft flesh while licking her nipple in a slow, circular caress of her tongue. Adella squirmed pleasantly, murmuring how much she liked that. It only thrilled Eileen further as she craved those sounds and those words.

She reached up, but hesitated, still so timid and Eileen lifted her head, then leaned into her a little more. She cupped Adella's chin with one hand and shared another kiss before her hand ventured lower, still moving slowly so that Adella could have the chance to stop her.

Even if stopping would probably be harder for the Hunter than she thought.

Internally, her Beast was chanting Yes, yes, finally! But her human half wanted it to be more. Something that would comfort her until her final days. It was selfish, probably. But having a willing offering sent the Hunter's senses away into the wind. All she wanted to focus on now was Adella.

"Do you really want this?" Eileen asked, needing to be certain.

Adella's lips were only a fraction from hers and she shuddered out a husky moan, filled with desire.

"Yes!" she gasped.

At that, Eileen pulled away only a little to work herself out of her own clothes. Her movements were almost clumsy and entirely too eager, drawing a small laugh from Adella's lips. She moved to help her by unbuttoning her great coat beneath her feathered cloak.

Eileen raised an eyebrow, kicking off her boots. "Hush."

Adella spent the time studying the Hunter's body once she was undressed; her eyes roved over every scar that Eileen had received. She had seen her before when she had bathed, but having her close up and feeling the lovely caress of her skin against hers was much better.

"You're very lovely." she said, with another embarrassed giggle. Even saying such words seemed to make her blush so.

"Honestly." Eileen murmured, shaking her head with amusement.

Adella had little to think about when Eileen resumed attention to her breasts; she flicked her tongue against one nipple before giving it a gentle suck, drawing a hiss of pleasure from Adella. Eileen's name exploded out of her in one breath and she held her head in one hand as the Hunter moved to administer the same treatment to the other breast. It left head pooling between her legs and she rubbed her thighs together for relief.

Then, Eileen's hands slid beneath her arse, pulling her close while she knelt down in front of the nun. Adella looked a little confused until she shut her eyes when the Hunter began to kiss her chest, avoiding the healing slash from the Eye Collector before moving lower toward that aching goal. Every slow kiss, every little caress shot fire of need through her, yet she maintained that control for the sake of the nun.

"May I?" Eileen asked, her voice dropping lower to a pitch that sent a stab of heat in Adella's belly.

"Oh, yes." Adella groaned out, knowing full-well what she asked.

Once Adella felt her warm mouth there, she arched her back with a soft, startled sound. It felt so strange to have someone's mouth touch her that way for the first time, but not at all unpleasant. She slapped a hand over her mouth to keep herself from crying out too loudly by the creatures outside. Though she had to admit, it would have been difficult to pry herself away from what they were doing.

Gods, she was so wet. Eileen felt an absurd sense of pride in that fact as she teased the nun with a few slow, gentle licks, making certain that she was watching. The response she received was Adella trying to restrain a moan, but all that emerged was a whimper. Their eyes met and the sight of Eileen's gaze so dark, so inviting was too much and she tossed her head back, earning an affectionate chuckle below her.

Eileen hadn't pleased a woman this way in a long time, but she remembered the right ways in doing so. Her tongue probed, stroked and flicked sweetly, giving the nun a moment to be acquainted with her mouth. After all, she hadn't had someone even KISS her let alone share a moment like this.

Adella was shuddering and squirming in her grip, so Eileen lifted her head and ran a single finger through the woman's slick folds, teasing the little hairs.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

Adella's chest was flushed and her eyes opened. "Please, don't stop..." she begged, her voice cracking with need.

Eileen gave her a crooked smirk and resumed her efforts of pleasing the nun as much as she could. She heard Adella gasp and a hand clutch her shoulder, kneading like a kitten when she used her fingers in her explorations.

But she didn't slide them inside of her, choosing to rub back and forth instead. This was VERY nice indeed, but after a few moments, Adella was growing impatient.

"Please!" she begged, "Slide them in!"

Eileen granted her relief by lifting her head from between her legs, raising one of the woman's legs over her arm for a better angle and slipping a finger inside of her. Adella's back arched with a soft cry of appreciation and pleasure.

Meeting her gaze, Eileen slowly moved that delightfully long finger in and out of her, watching the way the nun's eyes darkened and lips parted. Her eyelashes fluttered and she began to breathe deeply.

"Gods..." Eileen breathed.

Adella pushed herself against that hand, trying to get the most out of the sensations and Eileen took the hint, realizing that she had adjusted to her movements before she began moving her fingers harder into her. Adella almost cried out too loudly, but Eileen hushed her with a firm press of her lips against hers.

"Is it good, love?" she queried, voice shaking with subdued excitement.

Adella couldn't formulate words, so she settled for a frantic nod and a whimper.

Eileen smiled and kissed her neck, sucking and licking the skin there. Her hand didn't stop the rhythm of her fingers inside of her. "Good, enjoy it." Another sweet, open-mouthed kiss. "Enjoy _me_."

Almost sooner than she wanted, Adella felt herself coming undone by the Hunter's movements. She began to whimper against Eileen's lips, voice coming higher and faster with every movement of her hand.

"I can't...I'm..." she struggled to bite out.

"It's all right, go ahead. I have you." Eileen soothed, pulling her close to her chest.

When the nun finally let herself fall, she stiffened against Eileen with a muffled cry in the space between her neck and shoulder. Eileen rubbed her thumb against that sensitive nub, putting equally wicked pressure against the spot deep inside of her. Adella was shaking in her arms, moaning her name and letting out several choking cries.

Eileen felt absurdly proud of herself as she watched the nun's skin flush and her chest heave as she made an effort to catch her breath. But Adella looked up at her with a small "I'm so sorry".

Eileen furrowed her brow. "Why?" she asked, surprised.

"Well...that was quick, yes?" Adella said, "I've read that such a thing happening quickly is...well, not a good thing."

Eileen shrugged her shoulders. "It's not an issue. Most of the time when you experience intimacy with another, it can be quick. It's normal."

Adella still didn't seem sure. The face she made brought forth a chuckle from the Hunter. Eileen leaned down and gave her a lazy kiss.

Adella's knee lifted and she brought it against Eileen's soaked center. The Hunter atop of her hissed and leaned her head against the nun's shoulder. She couldn't help it. It had been so long...

"Do you need help with that?" Adella asked, feeling a bit bolder now.

"I wouldn't...object to it." Eileen rasped.

It took a few awkward movements, but finally, Eileen was able to position and grind against the nun's leg in a way that left her breathless and shuddering. Adella held onto her, helping the Hunter along by kissing her collar bone, her neck and caressing every bit of skin she could reach.

"Yes, like that!" the Hunter managed to bite out. "Just like that!"

Adella felt absurdly proud to make Eileen even utter such needful cries. The beautiful moans she made sent hot shivers down the nun's lower back. She made every effort to kiss and caress her lover, despite how terrible she felt at it. She peppered Eileen's face with little kisses and the Hunter seemed to enjoy that given the shiver and breathless smile on her face.

"My lovely Hunter," she whispered.

Eileen licked her lips and leaned her head nearest Adella's shoulder, breath deepening in need and excitement. One of her hands clutched Adella's left thigh, holding her steady for her movements.

"Yes..." Eileen breathed, shivering again.

It was getting close for her, Adella could tell given the way Eileen's muscles clenched around her neck and her panting came closer together. An incredibly lovely look of intense focus crossed Eileen's face.

"Put your arms around me... There you go..." Eileen hissed, smiling when Adella wrapped her arms around her shoulders.

Eileen was moving faster, moaning something in her native tongue. She pressed her forehead against Adella's shoulder, stiffening and warning the nun with a soft gasp.

"Gods, here it comes...!" she groaned out, tipping over the edge with a beautiful cry.

A few more rocks of her hips as she rode out the sensations before she stilled and rested on top of the nun. Adella held onto her, as if afraid the Hunter would drift away at any moment. Instead, Eileen took a few moments to collect herself and her breathless exhalations filled the nun's ear.

She smiled and rested her cheek against Eileen's head.

Everything had changed between them, but hopefully it would be for the better.

O

Eileen allowed herself to be embraced by Adella as they laid together beneath her coat and feathered attire.

Adella kissed Eileen's forehead and the older Hunter chuckled, contented. Adella's fingers ran down the length of Eileen's back, and stopped at the scar she had seen. She rubbed it a few more times before tilting her head.

"Where did you get this scar?" she asked.

Eileen lifted her head. "Hm? What scar? Oh, that one?" She glanced down at herself briefly before shrugging. "I've always had it. From what, I can't remember."

Adella made a face. "It's just..."

"What?" Eileen asked, smiling a little a missing the concern.

She looked so different now; not quite as tense and guarded. Being together in this way certainly made her look more regal and content. Like a proud lioness. Well, perhaps in her case, a proud bird.

"I've seen those scars before." Adella answered. "On patients of the church. Those who had suffered from the affliction of the Scourge."

Eileen chuckled and shrugged her shoulders. "I am hardly one affected by the Scourge. Would we be having this conversation otherwise?"

"No."

"Don't be concerned with the wounds of an old hunter like me," Eileen assured her. "Let's just focus on what we have now."

Adella still seemed uncertain, but nodded her head after a moment. Then, she seemed doubtful and looked at Eileen.

"Did...you like it?" she asked.

Eileen nodded. "Immensely."

"I...didn't think I could make you happy that way," Adella said, with a hesitant smile. "After all, I'm certain you've seen others and been with far more beautiful women than I."

Eileen's brows formed a thin line. "Now stop that." she told her, giving her a kiss on her forehead. "I'm with you right now."

"Yes..." Adella chuckled, relaxing under Eileen's embrace.

"And I find you lovely."

Adella blushed a deep crimson and glanced down at their naked bodies intertwined on the furs. Well, she'd never expected to be here, naked and so utterly unashamed of herself. Eileen's hands caressed her belly and she sorely wished that they didn't have to leave this room.

Her eyes landed on Eileen's thighs, thick, muscular and peppered with scars before an idea came to her.

"I want to try it." Adella finally said.

"Hm? Try what?" Eileen looked at her curiously.

"What you did with me." Adella told her, caressing her thigh now.

"Oh. OH." Eileen's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Really?"

Adella nodded her head, smiling shyly. "If we're going to spend time here together, it could be our last, yes? I want to make you happy the way you made me happy."

"You need not feel obligated, though I appreciate the offer wholly."

"I don't feel obligated. I WANT to do it for you."

Eileen's cheeks darkened a little, taken by how quickly the nun had become so self-assured. Well, she was certainly not going to deny her such. She sat up and took a seat in the nearby couch and Adella knelt down between her thighs. She caressed the darker skin of her lover and was aware of Eileen watching. She was so nervous and certain that she would disappoint her, but she wanted to try it.

The older woman cupped her cheek with one hand and smiled reassuringly, face reddened for what Adella was about to do. A thumb brushed across her lower lip and she leaned back in the couch to get comfortable.

A few little kisses against her thigh - Adella was imitating her perfectly - before she felt careful, gentle lips kiss her THERE. It must have been the moment of it as Eileen felt her thighs jump with anticipation. She noticed a smile against her skin and looked down, breathing stopping at the way Adella looked up at her, so proud of such a reaction. Well, she was certainly willing to let her enjoy it as much as she was.

Adella was cautious at first with her mouth and her explorations, but Gods above, she learned fast; the way she sucked and licked was enough to have Eileen panting softly above her, hand running through her hair. She didn't know how such careful contacts of her lips could bring her so quickly close to the edge. Perhaps it was the moment, the lovely young thing between her legs or the lack of physical contact for so long. Eileen had never been able to finish so quickly.

"_Adella..._" she hissed.

The nun felt a pulse of heat between her legs and continued to use her mouth to coax those lovely noises from her. Eileen spread her legs wider, gasping and twitching her hips up into the stimulation.

"Ooh, you're doing so well, I..." Eileen breathed.

The nun felt absurdly proud of herself; pleasing her Hunter and doing so well at it made her desire more of those lovely sounds. She intensified her efforts, feeling Eileen shudder, her belly clench tight. Adella ran a hand against her thigh and up her chest and the Hunter took that hand in hers, leaning her head back with several more soft moans.

Eileen was close, given the way she gasped and panted. It took a few moments before she gave a tight grunt as she tipped over the edge, gripping the hand in hers with one hand and Adella's head with the other. Adella gave her a few little licks to her center before smiling up at her, thrilled by the tired, beautiful smile that Eileen gave in return.

"Mmm, come here." Eileen crooned, pulling her up for a kiss.

Adella laughed with delight, putting her arms around her shoulders and returning the kiss in kind. Eileen started to rise, but she felt a bit of resistance in Adella's hold. She sighed gently, kissing the corner of her mouth.

"We have to go eventually, love..." she reminded her.

"Just...a few more moments?"

"Alright."

O

Adella, Eileen and Henryk made their way through the Advent Plaza, looking around for signs of activity. Henryk looked down at the nun and a smile lit his voice.

"You seemed to have a bit of fun, didn't you?" he teased, softly.

Adella blushed a dark shade of red. "You know?"

Henryk chuckled and nodded. "Good for you, Adella. And good for her, really." He indicated Eileen who seemed intent on a set of enormous doors in the distance. "I think she needed that, despite our mission. I trust you two will embrace everything together?"

He was hoping for an indication that Adella MIGHT welcome Eileen's Beasthood if it came to that. But the nun didn't seem to suspect that Eileen was afflicted with a curse. Still, she seemed happy and nodded her head once, crossing her hands in front of her.

"I will." she told him. "Whatever it is she needs and wants, I will."

Henryk was content with that response, but he wasn't sure just how much she meant it. It was only a matter of time before the secret of what Eileen was came out. Maybe they would handle that when the time came. Right now? Now they had to focus on their goal.


	6. VI

~O~

The Lecture Hall was filled with books that Adella had never had the chance to lay her eyes on in her entire life. While Eileen and Henryk searched various rooms for clues that might help them on their journey, she paged through a journal and read a curious passage that made her think of the deceased man at Byrgenwerth.

"'Master Willem was right. Evolution without courage will be the ruin of our race'." she read. She furrowed her brow and glanced over her shoulder when she saw Eileen enter the room. "Have you found anything about the Crow?"

Eileen sighed, shaking her head with a disappointed sound. "No. He did pass through. We found some of his handiwork in the other rooms. Perhaps he's making his way back to his cursed mistress at Cainhurst castle."

"Will we go there?" Adella was troubled by the thought.

"If we must. Why? Does that concern you?"

Adella made a face and set the journal down. "I have heard many stories of Cainhurst." she explained. "In truth, I am afraid of what we may find."

Eileen didn't blame her for that. The stories of Cainhurst and their twisted rituals of blood had been quite disturbing to many. Adella had a right to be afraid.

She put her arms around her and the nun felt comfort in them. She relaxed with a sigh and Eileen tilted her mask toward her head, much like a gentle embrace of a bird.

"It'll be alright, love." she assured her, "I'll protect you from whatever will do you harm. I fear no man and no thing."

Adella smiled and laughed softly. "I know, my dearest Hunter."

The two walked out into the hallways now and Adella noticed an interesting door that filtered through violet smoke. Odd noises emerged from it and Henryk approached, cautious.

Something about it felt wrong to Eileen, so she reached out the moment Adella opened it.

"Wait!" she shouted.

But Adella opened the door and a roaring, unholy vortex greeted her. She gave a cry as she was unceremoniously yanked through it. Eileen dove after her and Henryk followed, all three grabbing one another to stay together. The trio found themselves spinning wildly through the vortex with several cries and shouts before they were dumped onto cold, wet earth.

Eileen grunted, uttering a curse as she climbed to her feet. "Let this be a lesson, Adella..." she told the nun nearby. "Never open doors in places ruled by the Scholars of Mensis."

Henryk nodded in agreement. "Yes. They can be rather tricky."

Adella was clinging to a stone mass and grimaced. "Forgive me." she said. "I am not familiar with the Mensis Scholars and what they are wont to do."

Eileen noticed her condition and her voice lit up a little with amusement. "Are you all right?"

"Perhaps. This stone is quite comfortable..."

An affectionate chuckle from the older woman and she helped her stand.

The trio looked around, taking in their surroundings; the rocky surfaces, broken and cracked with sticky, gore-like ooze in the center. It was an utterly horrific sight and nothing they had laid eyes on before.

Oh Gods.

Adella looked closer at the rocks, but noticed nothing but faces carved into the stone. Twisted, grimacing faces all fused together in a gruesome aberration.

The skies above were dark, almost pitch. Thunder rumbled overhead and flashes of lightning occasionally lit the clouds.

Nearby were prowling Loran Silverbeasts. Their sideways faces were filled with razor teeth and their long-nailed hands clutched torches in hand. Their thick, white fur almost seemed alive in a way; dancing about with just the smallest steps. Standing upright on two legs, they almost looked like the townsfolk who had succumbed to the Scourge.

Above the moon shone, bright and full.

"Where is this place?" Adella asked, frightened.

"The Nightmare of Mensis." Eileen told her. "I have heard that the Scholars had escaped to a place made from the mind of a Great One. I only thought it to be rumor. Clearly, I was wrong."

The Great Ones. Adella didn't know which Great One resided here in the Nightmare, but she didn't wish to find out. Unlike most of her church-dwelling ilk, Adella had a greater fear of them.

"We have to find a way out," Henryk said. "The Nightmare is no place to dwell for long."

So they wandered toward the castle, weapons at the ready. A snapping sound echoed from their left and they saw over a rotted bridge a Loran Silverbeast crawling toward them, screeching.

Eileen charged forward, swords drawn. She ducked down, narrowly missing a swipe of the creature's claws.

She drove her blade through its open jaws, cleaving its head in two in a gruesome spray of blood and gore.

Just as Eileen withdrew her blades, the sound of whispers filled the air. The trio looked back and spotted a Winter Lantern drifting toward them, drawn by the sound of conflict. Eileen grabbed Adella's wrist.

"Go. Now." she ordered.

Henryk grunted as he fled beside them. "Let's not have a repeat incident with them." he muttered.

Adella could certainly agree. Her chest jumped at the thought.

O

The trio made their way through the castle, avoiding enormous spiders along the way. Despite the eerie decor of the nightmarish halls, nothing of greater threat challenged them. In fact, most of the place they walked through seemed abandoned.

Cages hung from the ceiling, large enough for humans. Adella had to lean back far to see just how many dangled above them.

"What sort of purpose did these cages serve?" Adella wondered.

The sound of footsteps caught their attention, turning them in their steps. Several smaller figures were walking about, wearing large, metal helmets on their heads. Their flesh was a sickly, pasty blue and a few held knives in their hands.

"What are they?" Adella gasped.

"Keepers of the Great One Mergo." Henryk explained. "They have no interest in us, so long as we don't harm them."

Adella moved away when one of the figures brushed passed her. As true to what Henryk said, it paid no mind to her at all. It simply walked away and joined the others. They seemed aimless, serving no particular task than walking.

"So I suppose we - " Eileen began.

Suddenly, the ground around them began shaking. They staggered back, startled as rows of walls began moving in front of them. Gears turned and mechanisms clicked... Somewhere, a bell was being rung.

A portion of wall slid between Henryk, Eileen and Adella, separating the nun from them. She gave a frantic cry and beat on it uselessly with her fists. The Hunters on the other side tried to beat their way through it as well, but to no avail.

"Adella!" Eileen shouted, "Are you alright?"

Adella nodded her head uneasily. "Yes. I just..." She looked around. "What's going on? Why did these walls separate us?"

"It's possibly a trick of the Nightmare. Don't worry." Eileen's voice was soothing. "We'll come find you. Stay there."

Adella hesitated. "Alright. I'll wait."

And so she waited for them to come find her, staring at her surroundings with trepidation. The occasional whisper made her look around wildly for signs of a new threat she was sure would come.

There were eyes attached to the wall with long, sharp pins. Such a gruesome sight. Adella had no interest in learning where the eyes came from.

"Ahh, Kos, or some say Kosm...Do you hear our prayers?"

Adella looked around for the source of the sudden voice that filled the air. It was a male voice, speaking in almost tired pitches.

She noticed a man step out from the shadows, wearing a Cage of Mensis on his head. His eyes were sunken and almost black in the poor light of the room. He wore Robes of the Scholars of Mensis and his shoes were untied.

She knew of this man. Only one was rumored to have still lived in the Nightmare, drawn from the home of Mensis like a fly.

Micolash.

"H-Hello?" Adella said, carefully.

The man met her gaze now, smiling broadly. The smile on his face was empty, filled with little emotion other than some odd form of drunken pleasure. He held out his hand to her.

"No, we shall not abandon the dream." he told her. "And you shall not come to take it from us."

"I-I meant to take nothing from you," Adella stammered, backing away from him. "We're just trying to leave this place and we've become separated. If you help us find the exit, we'll trouble you no longer."

Micolash's eyes darted about, like a rat who had sensed impending danger. His eyes widened slightly.

"How many of you are there?" he asked.

"Adella?" Eileen's voice came from the other side of the wall. "Adella, who's with you? Who are you talking to?"

Henryk spoke too. "Adella, answer us!"

Micolash suddenly laughed when Adella backed further away into the corner. "Ah hah hah ha! Ooh! Majestic! A hunter is a hunter, even in a dream."

Adella turned and fled from him. Micolash cackled with glee and gave chase.

"But, alas, not too fast! The nightmare swirls and churns unending!" he called after her.

O

Adella ran down the swirling, nightmarish corridors, listening to the howling, near animal sounds of glee behind her.

"No one can catch us! No one can stop us now!" Micolash cried.

Adella fled into a room, where she spotted several corpses walking about. Her eyes widened in horror and she tried to flee, but they trapped her against the wall. She struggled to reach for her knife, but the hands at her wrists held strong.

"Please..." she begged, tears forming. "Don't."

The eyeless, moaning corpses were suddenly obliterated by the shot of a pistol. Adella looked over in amazement at the sight of Henryk and Eileen standing there. Eileen rushed up to her and despite the mask on her face, Adella knew for a fact that she was relieved to see her unharmed.

"Adella! Thank Gods!" Eileen said, breathless.

"I'm sorry!" Adella told her, shaking her head. "I didn't mean - "

"Stop your apologies," Eileen interrupted, evenly. "You're safe. Now tell us where the man is."

Neither one of them had a chance to react as Micolash stepped through a nearby mirror in a flash of blue light, unleashing a stream of magical tendrils from the palm of his hands. The blows sent Eileen and Henryk to the floor in a flurry of limbs and grunts of pain.

Micolash let out a sigh of pleasure, regarding the two Hunters before he raised two hands, speaking hypnotically once more.

"As you once did for the vacuous Rom, grant us eyes, grant us eyes. Plant eyes on our brains, to cleanse our beastly idiocy."

Eileen's mask was laying on the floor, having been dislodged from the force of Micolash's magic. Henryk stared at her with worry, then growing concern as he watched her claw the floor, groaning loudly.

"Eileen..." he said, quietly.

Micolash continued speaking, failing to see the slowly developing claws forming at the ends of Eileen's fingertips. But Henryk saw it. His eyes widened in horror when he realized that she was slowly losing control.

"Eileen, no." he told her.

Eileen's groans began to deepen into angry, inhuman growls. She thrashed her head about, struggling against herself. Fingers clawed at her ears and she clenched her teeth, rebuking herself as much as she could. She pressed her forehead into the floor, a stringy bit of drool dangling from her chin as her flat teeth slowly lengthened into sharp points.

Adella didn't notice the sight nor hear the noises from Eileen. Micolash had backed her into the wall again, his dark eyes glittering with pleasure.

"Let us sit about, and speak feverishly. Chatting into the wee hours of..." he mused. He seemed as though he had forgotten something, but grinned when he remembered. "The grand lake of mud, hidden now, from sight."

Adella shook her head frantically. "Please, just let us go!" she begged.

"No one leaves the Dream," Micolash told her, raising his hand. it crackled and glowed with blue light. "No one shall wander."

He failed to see Eileen slowly rise to her feet behind him. Her hair hid her face from view and she stalked toward the man, each movement seemingly done with great effort. Micolash held his hand high for another terrible blow, but Eileen's hand closed tightly around his wrist. He looked back at her, stunned by the impudence before his smile disappearing slowly.

The left half of Eileen's face was partially morphed into a horrific, beastly visage; her eyes were glowing bright blue and she was softly snarling with rage.

Adella was frozen, unable to fathom what she was seeing.

Eileen.

Changing before her.

Micolash screamed now, horrified and disgusted by what he was seeing. He tried to use his free hand to dislodge himself, slapping and hitting at Eileen's face; she didn't budge from his blows. It was like striking a statue. Henryk quickly rushed to Eileen's side, struggling to get her free from Micolash, but he had little success in that as well. She wouldn't let go and her strength on the other man was immeasurable.

"Eileen, my friend!" he shouted, "Stop! Let him go!"

Eileen's body was shaking violently, and she seemed to be looking through him. She panted rapidly through her nostrils, her eyes forming frightening slits. Her face slowly began transforming further, ears lengthening and fur sprouting.

"Eileen! Look at me!" Henryk begged desperately. "Remember the woman you are! This creature isn't you! It does not control you! You KNOW WHO YOU ARE!"

Micolash started screaming louder when Eileen's hand bubbled, growing ten times larger into a hideous, clawed beast arm. Her grip slowly began crushing the bones and flesh of his wrist. Adella was unable to move. Unable to tear her eyes away.

_Oh merciful Gods, what's happening to her?_

Henryk cupped Eileen's cheeks, begging continuously. "Eileen, stop!" he pleaded, "Please! This is not who you are!"

She groaned, her frightening teeth gnashing. "I...I can't..." Her words came out of her in a terrible, deep pitch. Squeezing her eyes shut in a feeble effort, she attempted to calm herself, but it was too much. "I'm...changing too fast!"

"Calm down!" Henryk continued to beg. "You have to focus! FOCUS!"

Eileen gave a monstrous roar and pushed him with one sweep of her hand. Henryk was sent falling to the floor with a cry of pain. He looked up at Adella, who seemed to be frozen, as if in a state of catatonia. She was watching Eileen with absolute terror.

Another scream from the transforming woman slowly turned into a roar of anger. Eileen crushed Micolash's hand in a gruesome spray of blood and gore. The man shrieked in agony, falling to the floor and clutching his bloodied limb. Eileen backed away, snorting and groaning as she began to transform. Her body swelled, her limbs cracked and her clothes shredded away in a spray of cloth.

Adella hadn't realized she had stopped breathing when she watched the beast crouched there, completely transformed into the creature that had saved her from the village of nightmares.

Her savior.

And her lover.

Was a Beast.

Micolash whimpered, still clutching his arm as he turned and fled, panting desperately through his nose. Eileen gave a piercing howl and pursued him on two legs. After a moment of chasing him, she dropped to all fours, barreling down the corridors and screaming her blood-lust for all to hear.

Adella wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there.

O

Henryk was shaking her shoulders, desperately trying to get her to focus on him. It took a few moments before she finally met his gaze, horror on her face.

"We have to go!" Henryk cried. "We have to move now!"

Adella barely managed to breathe out. "...what..."

Henryk took her wrist and tugged her to follow him. Adella suddenly felt sick; her world was spinning and her ears ringing, yet she somehow managed to find enough strength to follow.

Eileen.

Her beloved Hunter was a Beast.

Meanwhile, Micolash was frantically fleeing down the corridors, desperate to lose the hellish creature behind him. Her jaws were dripping, her eyes flashing an unholy blue.

Micholash spotted a mirror close by and grinned with relief. Surely she could not follow him there.

Behind him, a few attendants of Mergo had crossed Eileen's path and she viciously punched them out of her way to reach him. Micolash dove through the mirror, seconds as Eileen's claws slashed forward.

She crashed into the mirror, shattering it into shards of glass and metal. Micolash appeared on a balcony above her and Eileen shook the glass from her face and fur with a rough snarl.

She looked up at him and he panted desperately through his nose.

The Beast stared at him and her jaws seemed to stretch wide in a monstrous, wicked grin. She held up her claws before raking them across the wall beside her, sending a shower of sparks falling. Then, she displayed them to him, those claws glittering in the dim light of the chamber.

Micolash groaned, shaking his head desperately.

He attempted to leap across a broken catwalk, but slipped in the process. He struggled for purchase, but his bloodied hand caused him to lose his grip on the metal grating and he fell and tumbled to the floor below. Eileen howled after him, claws and teeth shining.

Micolash's horrible, agonized scream caught up with Adella and Henryk. They sprinted on with renewed effort, only to find Eileen in the middle of bashing a bloodied corpse beneath her feet with her massive fists.

"Eileen!" Henryk shouted.

The creature in front of them turned, showing her teeth in a loud, piercing snarl. After a few moments, she glanced down at her claws, at the blood that soaked them, then to the nun beside Henryk.

Adella shook her head slowly, whimpering.

Eileen's features smoothed out and she stared at the nun, her ears flattening against her head. She gave a few, rough snorts before her beastly gaze relaxed; there was a human-like pain in her stare, a sort of apology.

The creature too a single step toward Adella, then reached out with one large, dangerous hand; a beseeching gesture.

_The Beast had saved me..._

_...Eileen was that beast..._

_She's a beast. Oh Gods..._

Adella had taken a step back the moment those wicked, talon feet moved forward. Eileen caught the gesture and tried to comfort the nun, reaching out slowly and cautiously. But in this form, she had to know it was only frightening.

_No, don't be scared! I'm Eileen!_ the Hunter wanted to say, but all that came out of her were frightening snarls and hisses. She lowered herself closer to the ground and tried to look as welcoming as possible, but it wouldn't help. She knew that.

All Adella saw was a Beast. A slavering, blood-drenched animal.

_She shouldn't have seen this._

_...I lost control..._

Henryk had said nothing, but he stood guard and watched the two. His hand was at his pistol, but he gave Eileen a look of apology.

This was going to happen. It was inevitable.

Eileen's features twisted with sorrow and she let out a gruff snarl before turning and fleeing down the corridors.

"Eileen!" Henryk shouted, attempting to follow.

O

Adella's ears were ringing.

Henryk was pleading with her, urging her to help find Eileen in the Nightmare. But she was practically unresponsive. She couldn't move. It didn't even seem as if she could breathe.

"Adella, please..." Henryk begged.

"She's...a Beast." Adella barely managed, her breath shaking out of her.

Henryk stared at her, shutting his eyes once in pain.

"You knew..." Adella met his gaze, her face filled with hurt and confusion. "You knew what she was."

"Yes." Henryk said, nodding once. He sought to explain. "Eileen has been a Beast most of her life. But you must understand; she is one of the few who can maintain their will and transform to and from their human shapes. Don't you see? She can control it."

Adella didn't understand at all.

"I know you may not believe me. Nor will you trust me after this. That's okay. But Eileen... We need to find her. She will surely be on a self-destructive path through the Nightmare. Please... I know what I ask is more than you can give, but we must save her!"

Adella didn't know what to do.

_Gods, help me..._

Meanwhile, Eileen was fleeing through the Nightmare Frontier on two legs, panting desperately. She struck down anything that happened to unfortunately find its way in her path; a few Beasts, spiders and birds. Adella had seen her. Adella knew what she was.

She hated her.

She despised her.

**Did I not tell you?**

Eileen stopped, lifting her head with a gruff snarl.

An image of her sister appeared on a hill; but it was a lie. A lie of the Nightmare. Eileen's ears folded back against her head and she snarled in rebuke.

The image simply sighed, shaking her head sadly.

**This was the price. You knew it would come to this.**

Eileen's large paws shot right up to her ears with a wounded groan, desperate to block out the voice.

**Old human aberration... you cannot deny the truth laid bare. Truth will always reveal itself. No matter how deeply you bury it.**

Eileen snarled, showing her frightening, sharp teeth.

_Leave me alone..._

O

It had started raining in the Nightmare.

Henryk was following the bloodied tracks left by the transformed Hunter. They seemed to wander through the dead, dry ruin of the Frontier. They were met with little resistance other than twisted, squid-like monstrosities. Overall, Eileen's beastly form must have surely rendered many of the enemies dead.

"Eileen!" Henryk called.

Adella was leaning against a large boulder, staring ahead in a blank manner. Henryk walked over to her, taking her arm.

"Adella..." he said, gently. "Please."

Then, he looked back at the sounds of deep, thick breathing. He followed the noise and it led him toward the edge of a stream. Several squid-like aberrations lay dead nearby, clawed to ribbons.

And Eileen was not far, still in her Beast form with her head hanging low on her shoulders. When Henryk approached, his foot lightly tapped a rock, which caused Eileen to abruptly lift her head and raise her long ears as she caught the sound.

She showed her teeth, growling softly.

Henryk held out two hands. "Eileen, it's me." he soothed. "Your friend."

Eileen seemed shaken, uncertain. Her eyes narrowed into slits.

"Remember? You ended up like this before when your friend died." Henryk continued, taking another careful step. "We got through that and we can get through this."

Claws clutched the rock beside her, slashing the stone. A hesitant snarl ripped up from Eileen's throat. She was wounded from the way that Adella had looked at her; instead of the adoring smile, there was fear and disgust.

_You should have known._

When Henryk was close enough, Eileen tried to move away, but Henryk grabbed one of her large arms and attempted to stop her. The force of his action knocked Eileen to the ground and she gave an angry snort. She didn't want to hurt him, but she didn't want to look at the nun. She didn't want to see the horror on her face after they'd shared one another.

"Adella!" he shouted, grunting with effort. "Talk to her! Please!"

Adella looked up with a frightened sound, staring at Eileen; the Beast made an effort to dislodge Henryk with one hand, avoiding using her claws to seriously hurt him. All Adella saw in her mind were flashes of Beasts feeding. Tearing. Slavering.

Eileen gave a startled grunt and looked down when she felt Adella wrap her arms around her great wrist.

Adella had tears falling down her cheeks and she was shaking.

"Eileen..." she mumbled, the damp fur sticking to her cheeks. "Please..."

Eileen stared down at her, features twisting in a mixture of pain and anger.

"I'm...I'm scared." Adella continued, "I'm so scared...of you."

Eileen's features relaxed at the soft crying from the nun below her, and a human look of sadness crossed her face now.

"But...I also know that you won't hurt me," Adella mumbled, lifting her face and meeting Eileen's frightening eyes.

She saw the Hunter still there. The way the Beast stared. The way she tilted her head. The mild hissing through her long, dangerous fangs. The mane of hair that framed the creature's face... the braids from Eileen's head...they were still there. Eileen was still there.

"It's you." Adella started crying. "I know it's always you. So please...let's go back to the way we were. Please."

Eileen let out a sigh.

Adella continued to hold her tightly. She felt a shift in the form beneath her, a rumbling and grinding of bone.

When she opened her eyes and looked up, Eileen was looking down at her in her human form, as naked as the day she was born. She was shaking from the change, uttering soft, pained gasps between labored breathing.

Adella held her tightly, tears still streaming down her cheeks.

Eileen's body was wracked with terrible spasms; she held Adella in return. Henryk averted his eyes from the sight of the naked woman.

"Adella." Eileen said, so softly, the nun barely heard it.

O

Eileen's robes were ultimately useless in their shredded state. Normally, she would have undressed and transformed, but the sight of Adella nearly brought to her end wrought forth a rage she had not felt since her youth. When she was helpless to protect her village.

Never had she lost control in that way. Not since Viola.

She could still hear the Beast rumbling beneath her flesh. Adella hadn't look at her while they searched for proper clothes. Eileen didn't like wearing robes of the Mensis scholars, but it would have to do.

Henryk had found a doorway that would lead them from the Nightmare. But clothes and proper armor were important to Eileen at the moment.

But Adella hadn't looked at her since they'd returned, and Eileen didn't speak. She retrieved her weapons, sheathed them and found her mask. She fitted it over her face with a sigh.

"What's it like?"

Adella's sudden question made Eileen pause in surprise. She turned to the nun, finding her studying a book at her feet. Anything to keep her from looking at her, she assumed.

The Beast hissed in the back of her mind, wounded by the rejection. But Eileen was still a damned human. She would not behave like a child.

"What is what like?" Eileen asked, evenly.

"When you change." Adella continued. "What is it like?"

There was a certain curiosity that Adella could not resist, despite herself. To speak to someone who could make the change without being concerned that she would be killed... It was only natural for her to wonder.

Eileen hesitated before answering. "It's hard to explain, Adella. When I was corrupted and made to take the form of the Beast, I had grown used to the change. I am still myself, but I am not."

Adella lowered her eyes. "I see..."

"The shape I take I do so when I lose sight of my emotions," Eileen continued, "I've learned that well through the years. My mask is to keep me calm. Keep me focused on the mission at hand. But when I saw him... When I saw what he was going to do..."

Adella thought about her words for a moment. Twice Eileen had transformed in her company. The first time didn't count as she had no idea it was her. Though perhaps a part of her suspected; an infinitesimal part felt a glimmer of fear in the corner of her mind.

"That form... It's been a curse for so long, I forgot what it felt like to have others seem me that way," Eileen said, sighing. She sounded...tired and sad. "But I will use it no more."

Adella wanted to speak, but Eileen was already walking away before she could.

_You deserve everything you get..._

There was a giggle from the Nightmare. A lost, whispered chuckle from what sounded like a young woman.

Adella didn't know anymore.

Eileen remembered the first time she had transformed, after she received the curse. She was fourteen at the time and had lost her temper during training.

_"Ugh. The smell. It's disgusting."_

_Eileen crouched in the corner, back arched and hissing; she was fully transformed, facing the various odd stares from her fellow village members. They didn't seem as terrified of her as she would have suspected and instead, looked at her with a mixture of curiosity and disgust._

_One of them approached. She was an older woman who had retired her blade. She bent down and placed a hand against the sticky fur of Eileen's head. The transformed being hissed louder, angrier and recoiled from her touch. The woman sighed and frowned back at the watchers._

_"Go on then. I'll be fine." she snapped. "Stop staring at her. You'll make it worse."_

_The group eventually disbanded, leaving the old woman alone with the frightened creature. She reached out and smiled soothingly._

_"There we are," she told her, "We should talk, Eileen."_

_Eileen's hisses softened a little and she continued to glare._

_"This is a curse, there is no avoiding that," the woman continued, "But this curse can be used at your benefit instead of our destruction."_

The Nightmare felt more alive once they returned to the real world.

Eileen had never realized how dead this place seemed; how empty and cold it was by comparison. She could see the glow of Amygdala's heads as they remained perched around them, observing in silence.

Only she saw them. Only she heard the call of her "sister".

_It's all right, Eileen._

Eileen could hear the whisper in her mind. She didn't see the Amygdala who had spoken, but then again, it was difficult to really decide given how many there were. They were always everywhere somehow.

Once they found a resting spot in an old hospital, Eileen and Henryk spent the time talking alone while Adella managed to sleep. She awoke only for a moment to catch snippets of their conversation.

"...do you really want to do that, Eileen?"

"Yes. It's to make certain she is safe. She cannot handle what she sees out here. And we have our mission."

"...I understand, Eileen. There is no safer place in Yharnam."

Adella thought about what was being said, and she felt that familiar, terrible clench in the pit of her insides.

They were going to leave her.

O

The Chapel of Yharnam. Home of worship to the Great One Oedon.

Henryk entered, passing rows of burning incense. He paused, glanced back and found Eileen still standing at the doorway. He sighed, shaking his head.

"Oh. Sorry..." he said.

Eileen nodded her head. "It's fine."

Adella stood there, clinging to Eileen's arm. The Hunter looked down at her briefly before she exhaled slowly.

"You heard us talking, you know what this means." she said, evenly.

Adella noticed the thing that lived inside the chapel; the deformed creature with long, gray arms, pale white eyes and bony form clothed in tattered red robes. This was to be her home until the hunt was over?

"You'll be safe..." Eileen continued, though she sounded as if she didn't really believe it herself.

Adella managed to nod slowly, stepping into the church. She left one lingering pass at Eileen's hand, fingers gently caressing before she was beyond the Hunter's reach. Her mind raced with a thousand thoughts a minute, none of which were good or helpful in any way. She didn't even know when Eileen closed the doors once she and Henryk had departed.

"You didn't wish to say goodbye?" Henryk asked the Hunter.

"No." Eileen said, emptily. "It's best this way."

Henryk nodded his head sagely. Perhaps so.

The Chapel Dweller had done little to offer her comfort. Her mind was racing and his words were as pointless to her as sitting here in this church. Waiting to live. Waiting to die. That's all this was.

She stood, stepped over to the doors of the chapel and forced them open. The Dweller bid her to remain, but she barely heard him. She saw nothing but her mad desire to find Eileen. To find her Hunter and to beg for forgiveness.

So she raced through the lifeless city, calling for her desperately.

Eileen and Henryk were walking passed Viola's home when she froze, hearing Adella's voice calling for her name. Her eyes widened behind her mask. Henryk heard it too and he made a face.

"Adella?" Eileen called, shock in her voice. "Adella!"

"Eileen!"

The voice was coming from across a bridge and the two Hunters spotted the nun running on the other side of them, further up on a balcony. Eileen moved first, unable to fathom what she was seeing.

"Adella!" she shouted. "What are you doing? Go back to the chapel!"

Adella didn't answer, so Eileen pushed forward, desperate to reach her. She panted, frantic to catch her before her cries alerted something dangerous. She climbed a ladder, scaled over a fence and ducked through piles of rubble before she finally found Adella.

The pair collided in a most clumsy manner; arms wrapped around each other. There was something almost frantic the way Eileen held her, as if she was someone who would fly away at any moment. She ripped her mask away from her face and Adella was startled by the raw emotion presented there.

The way Eileen's blue eyes nearly glowed, the anguished twist of her lips; for a moment, it almost looked like she would transform again. She didn't have time to start apologizing to her because Eileen was already kissing her. Her lips pressed into Adella's desperately, her hands cupping her cheeks.

"Stupid girl..." Eileen moaned, kissing her and chastising her all at once. "Why did you do that? Why did you leave?" Another kiss. "Why?"

She parted, staring down at the nun, desperate for answers.

The Hunter had never looked so open with her this way. Not even when they had been intimate with one another. The anger had completely drained away and she looked do utterly wounded, and so terribly lost that it was like looking at a stranger.

"I couldn't..." Adella was almost at tears. She held Eileen's hand there to her cheek. "Gods forgive me, I couldn't."

Eileen stared at her, confused for a moment before she seemed only tired now. She sighed, pressed a chaste kiss to Adella's forehead and held her close.

"Oh Gods, forgive me..." the nun began to cry, her voice shaking out of her like a storm. "I'm so sorry."

Henryk smiled a little at the sight.

_Thank Gods..._


	7. VII

~O~

Forsaken Cainhurst Castle.

The trio had made their way to the castle that had once belonged to the Cainhurst Vilebloods; now abandoned to time, and covered in snow and ice, following the raid of the Executioners who slaughtered their inhabitants mercilessly, leaving only the servants alive, but even they seemed gone from this place.

Eileen bent down toward a set of tracks, running her fingertips over it. She glanced toward Henryk and Adella before nodding once.

"He's passed here." she told them. "He may _still_ be here. We should get inside and warm up. Well, the two of you should."

She seemed tense and guarded. Adella remembered how warm Eileen had been and assumed that Beasts perhaps radiated intense heat more than humans did. She had many questions to ask her, but perhaps now was not a good time. Maybe until they rested.

There was a set of double doors and Eileen pushed them open. Once inside, Adella was taken in by the sights of the great hall. A large amount of portraits of royalty were exposed on the walls. It was a pompous display of elegance that Adella had never seen before.

"This place!" she gasped, "It's..."

"Something." Henryk finished, grimacing slightly.

There was a library in the room nearby, so Adella felt drawn to it. Once inside, she was taken by how many books lined the walls. She was drawn to a shelf and pulled a book out to look at it. Eileen followed her, unable to speak now that they were alone again.

The Beast scratched away behind her eyes, hissing _'look at me, please'_.

"I can still feel that creature there. Still scratching at the wall."

Eileen spoke first and Adella glanced at her sadly. Henryk marched nearby outside of the library. He knew they needed time to talk after everything that had happened. Occasionally, they could hear the chattering sounds of Beasts outside. They sounded far away, so they were fine.

"How do you control it?" Adella asked her, genuinely curious. "I understand you told me, but I still cannot fathom such a thing. After Gascoigne..."

Eileen sighed, staring upwards for a moment. Then, she shrugged her shoulders. "It's not without its challenges." she admitted. "I don't entirely know myself how I control it, other than the incense in my mask. I feel more calm, content with it. I have grown with this creature most of my life and I have never killed a single person who did not deserve to die."

_Viola and Eileen sat alone together beneath the canopy. Viola took the Hunter's hands, meeting her eyes with a warm smile._

_"I know it'll be hard, Eileen. My husband's struggles are one in the same." she told her. "But remember this; never take a life if it is not deserved."_

"I believe it was Viola's words that kept me going," Eileen said. She gave another sigh, perhaps too tired to delve deep into memory. "Otherwise, I would have just found another way."

Adella was shocked by Eileen's confession. "You - You mean..."

"Yes, I found myself one day, staring down the end of my pistol." Eileen continued, looking away. "But again, when I tried, the Beast simply took the bullet and spat it right out. I had no idea how strong it would be. How it would keep me alive until I could destroy my enemy for good. That was what it wanted. That was how it was born, and how it would die."

"What of Micolash?" Adella asked her. "When you changed, you...couldn't control it."

Eileen stared at her before she removed her mask, staring down at the nun with grief on her face. She shut her eyes and looked away.

"What he did to you..." she said, quietly. "What he NEARLY did to you. I lost control. I thought I'd lose you as I lost Viola. I couldn't bear it. The Beast couldn't bear it. It adores you as much as I adore you."

Adella thought about that. She reached up and placed a hand against Eileen's cheek. The Hunter opened her eyes and stared down at the nun, anticipating rejection or disgust. Instead, Adella looked at her with a mixture of awe and curiosity on her face.

"Is that true?" she asked.

"...It is." Eileen finally replied, after a moment. "Very much so."

The Beast groaned softly in her head. It seemed to draw comfort in her acceptance, which eased the pain in Eileen's head for the moment.

"Hey," Henryk stepped into the library, turning their attention to the doorway. "If he was here, he's gone now. We can rest and move on. It's safe."

Eileen and Adella nodded their heads. Good.

Eileen was disappointed that the Crow had eluded them again, but it was cold and they'd traveled far. She had grown weary of having him bait them on.

O

Such a lovely bath chamber.

Adella ran her hand across the surface of the water that she had heated. It was welcoming, the heat soothing her nerves and her body's aches. She began to undress and noticed various sweet-smelling soaps still there on the nearby shelves. She picked one up and pulled the cork off, smelling it once.

She hummed a melody to herself - one from her childhood that her father sang for her. It reminded her of peaceful, happier times on the farm. There was a pit that occasionally popped from the fire she'd started to heat up the chamber a little better.

Eileen walked passed the room, calling her name. When she returned to the door and saw her standing there, her brows rose and the nun turned, surprise lighting her face for a moment. Then, she smiled shyly, lowering her eyes and beckoning to the bath with one small gesture.

"I was going to clean up a little." she told her.

Eileen said nothing else, but her eyes darkened with thinly veiled interest in the unclothed nun.

"Will you...join me?" Adella asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Eileen smiled now and tilted her head. "Is that what you really want?"

"Oh, yes."

Eileen swallowed thickly before she began to disrobe. She approached her and they took each other's hands, fingers caressing gently, almost too carefully. Eileen leaned her forehead against Adella's, shutting her eyes and taking in the lovely scent of her.

Adella was the first one in the bath and she hissed at the heat that welcomed her. She scooted forward a little to allow Eileen to join her. The Hunter also hissed sharply before she sighed with content.

"Mmm, a good hot bath." she said, with a sound of approval. "These decadent blood-thirsty things knew how to indulge, I will give them that."

Adella leaned back against her and Eileen murmured softly, her hands slipping around the nun's waist. She felt her smaller frame relaxing a little at her touch and she was relieved of it. But the scent of the nun filled her head; the Beast could smell her fear. It wasn't as strong as it had been, but she could still sense it.

"You're still afraid of me, aren't you?" Eileen asked, glancing down at her.

Adella hesitanted before she nodded. "A little, perhaps," she said. Then, she chuckled. "Can you smell my fear?"

"Yes."

Adella blinked once. Twice. She looked back at the Hunter for a moment and noticed that Eileen was absolutely serious. She glanced down, ashamed of the little joke she'd made.

"Oh..." she replied.

"I understand," Eileen continued. She didn't look disappointed. "You are honest and I appreciate that. But you are also..." She paused and faintly took in the scent of another emotion. "You still desire me."

Adella blushed now and she laughed. "Well, my feelings for you haven't changed. I think that's what frightens me most."

"Oh?" Eileen was surprised by that.

"Because all that I was taught about Beasts is false," Adella continued. "My adage, my vows are all nothing to me now. I've cast aside that which I have spent years of learning. All for the sake of love. Some would call me a traitor to the church."

Eileen sighed softly and gently kissed her cheek. "Mm, you must decide alone what you want, Adella. I cannot make that choice for you."

"I want you, Eileen. And that frightens me."

"I know..."

Eileen kissed her chin again and Adella leaned her head back for more contact. She shivered in Eileen's arms and this time, it wasn't in fear, but in anticipation for her touch.

Eileen kissed the slope of her neck, her senses alive with emotions of lust and excitement. The nun still wanted her; even after knowing what she was, she still wanted her to touch her.

That would be frightening, to anyone; changing your thoughts and feelings for a Beast hiding in human skin was a terrifying thing. But right now, Adella didn't seem to care. Instead, she took Eileen's hand and brought it between her legs so that she could see how much she wanted her.

Eileen's heart stopped for a moment, but she had no problems with what happened next. She caressed her between her legs, listening to the soft, hungry whimpers from the nun in her arms. Kissing her neck and sucking her skin had Adella melting into her. The nun reached back with one hand and held Eileen's head right there at her neck, just where she wanted.

Her fingers found no resistance when she slipped them into the nun. Adella gasped, arching into the contact. Eileen murmured gently, giving her cheek a little kiss. She moved her hand back and forth slowly, sampling that hot, wet throbbing place as it gripped her so greedily.

Adella leaned her head back, shaking from the stimulation. Eileen smiled and leaned her head down for a kiss, to which the nun responded in kind. She tilted her knee a little to the left, giving Eileen better access.

"Yes, please...!" she gasped.

Eileen granted her what she wanted; her fingers thrust faster, she sucked the skin of her neck. Adella seemed to enjoy it for a few moments before she gasped out.

"Wait! Wait...wait..."

Eileen stopped the movements of her hand, stunned by the request. Adella guided her hand away from between her legs and turned around so that she could properly face her. Her cheeks were flushed, her gaze so utterly inviting and warm. She smiled, leaned close and cupped Eileen's cheeks.

"I'd...like to watch you, my Hunter." she gasped out.

Eileen's gaze softened and she looked at her with such a lovely, adoring smile. "Alright then."

Adella adjusted herself so that it brought her knee between Eileen's legs. Eileen lifted her thigh and pushed it between Adella's as well and both shifted so that they could rock against one another. Eileen's lips pursed and she gave a low, rather attractive grunt of pleasure.

She cupped the back of Adella's neck, pulling her down for a kiss. Her other hand clutched her thigh, pulling her into every movement they made.

For Adella's part, she savored being more in control; she nuzzled Eileen's chin, urging it to the side so that she could kiss her neck. Eileen's chest heaved as she breathed deep, losing herself in the motions of their bodies, the building pleasure that came much faster than it usually had for her.

Was it the fact that the nun was assuming more control? That her fear had been readily replaced with devotion to please her? Well, Eileen certainly didn't know; but if it meant that she would reap the benefits of it, who was she to really question it right now?

She wrapped her arms around Adella, holding her flush against her while both strove for completion. Eileen moaned softly and Adella responded in kind, clutching her tight.

"Mmm, yes..." Eileen gasped out, "Don't stop."

Oh, Adella had no intent on stopping. The breathless request in such a lovely, rich voice certainly threatened her resolve. She was going to finish quickly, such was how she was; she struggled to hold it back as much as she could, to allow Eileen to enjoy it longer.

"Don't do it yet, love," Eileen hissed, seeing the look of need cross Adella's face, "I'm almost there. Don't do it yet."

Adella whimpered helplessly, but held back her release with everything she had. Fortunately, it didn't take long as Eileen's features twisted and she rolled harder into her. She breathed a command to "finish" and with the needful look on her face, Adella was quite done after that.

She came then with a cry of Eileen's name and the Hunter followed soon after, groaning thickly and holding onto her tight with a few breathless gasps to follow.

"_Adella..._"

The way the Hunter whispered her name so reverently filled the nun's chest with warmth. She shivered, held onto Eileen as the pair worked themselves down from their release. Soothing caresses relaxed one another and Eileen smiled up at the nun, reaching up to hold the back of her neck and pull her down for a lazy kiss of teeth and tongue.

Adella laid her head down against the older woman's shoulder and felt a little tremble work itself through Eileen's body for a few moments as she took a moment to catch her breath.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Mm, more than alright," Eileen answered, with a lazy chuckle. She caught Adella's concerned gaze and smiled, raising an eyebrow. "You forget, I am much older than you."

Adella laughed a little now.

"I intended to clean myself in these bathing chambers," she murmured, against Eileen's shoulder. "Mm, but this is suits me perfectly."

"Indeed it does," Eileen replied, reaching to the side to gather a small cloth. She began to wash Adella's shoulders with it, her motions gentle and slow. "Hmm, do you feel better, love?"

"I do." Adella said, with a small, happy chuckle. "Considering the circumstances, I am quite comfortable here among you in this dreadful place."

"Yes," Eileen's voice was filled with delight; she was happy to see Adella no longer uncomfortable with her, "I am...happy you're alright."

Adella knew what she intended to say. She looked down at the older woman's hands on her shoulder, distracted with the motions of her washing. She thought of the creature that lied inside of Eileen; the enormous, frightening Beast capable of rending legions of Beasts to shreds.

But she was still Eileen.

O

_"As many times as I change, I risk losing a bit of myself."_

Those were Eileen's words to Henryk long ago when he had first learned of her Beasthood. The affliction of what she had been made into had been a blessing in the worst circumstances, but a curse in others. She could change and lose herself a bit each time.

But it didn't mean that she didn't have ways to remind herself. As Gascoigne did with his music, Eileen did in many other ways. She would not lose herself as he had; she had grown with her affliction and had been raised to adapt to it in her way. He did not.

"The Vileblood Queen is here." Henryk's voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

Eileen and Adella turned when Henryk had spoken; he had been facing the stone staircase, contemplating going up, but hesitated. The two women didn't seem eager by the idea all the same. Eileen knew that while the Queen of the Vilebloods had been rendered weak, she didn't want to encounter her.

Suck a sickening display of vulgarity.

Then, she raised her head, noticing a change in the air. A heavy smell of blood that overpowered her heightened Beast senses. The smell was carried in the icy wind and with it, a euphoria that belonged to someone else. It wasn't the Vileblood Queen, but another.

Was it him at last? Was it the Bloody Crow?

Eileen moved first and the other two followed, glancing at each other only briefly. They passed a great throne positioned on the rooftops and an open doorway leading to a chamber. Eileen entered the chamber first and the smell of blood was overpowering.

She walked passed rows of statues and found Alfred's familiar shape standing before a throne that had been soaked in gore and blood. Only this time, he wore a Golden Ardeo on his head; worn by the band of Executioners commanded by the martyr Logarius. The sight was horrifying and reminded Eileen too much of the grim, blood-soaked village she'd left behind.

Alfred thrust his arms in the air with a terribly loud cackle. "Master, look! I've done it, I've done it! I smashed and pounded and grounded this rotten siren into fleshy pink pulp!"

The three staring at the sight had no idea what to say or do. Eileen felt her head throbbing at the heavy scent of gore and she reached cautiously for her pistol. Alfred had clearly lost his mind to his desires, just as all Hunters had done before him.

"There, you filthy monstrosity! What good's your immortality now!" Alfred snarled down at what remained of the Vileblood Queen. "Try stirring up trouble in this sorry state! All mangled and twisted, with every inside on the outside, for all the world to see!"

Another cackle and Adella audibly gasped, drawing Alfred's attention to the three. He turned and shuddered once before removing the gold helmet from his head, revealing the wide, happy and blood-drunk grin on his face.

"Oh, you, is it?" he said, breathless. He gestured to what he had done with pride. "Look at this! Thanks to you, I've done it! Well? Isn't it wonderful?"

"Wonderful?" Eileen couldn't fathom such a thing.

"Yes!" Alfred cried, gleeful. "Now Master can be canonized as a true martyr! I've done it, I have!"

Eileen hissed softly. "I knew I should have strung you up, you blood-drunk madman." she spat, drawing out her pistol and sword.

Alfred laughed a little now, noticing her action. His pupils had all but collapsed and he simply backed away a few paces, unable to fathom her decision.

"Just what is the meaning of this? Why turn your blade on me?" he asked, voice light with shock, then gradually deepening with hatred. "You're jealous, aren't you?" He pointed a shaking finger at her, nearly screaming. "Unclean wench! Vile monstrosity! Bloody fool!"

He lunged at her, knocking her down the flight of stairs. They grappled at one another, striking stone and metal horses before taking their fight out into the snow. Henryk and Adella quickly followed and found the two locked in combat. Henryk started forward to help, but Eileen rebuked him with a shout.

"No! He's mine!" she cried, struggling to hold back Alfred's newest weapon of choice - a Whirligig Saw.

"But - " Henryk started to protest.

Eileen struggled against Alfred's strength. The saw had begun spinning inches from her face before she twisted her blades, knocking him off balance. It only lasted a moment before he was upon her in a near instant, snarling with wrath and effort.

Blades contacted the saw, reflecting every swing of the weapon with expert precision, but Alfred was relentless, showing no mercy with every attack. She was skilled, but he was driven with the urge for violence and blood; he was too far gone now and only an honest death would cure him.

"I KNEW something was wrong with you!" Alfred spat, panting. "I KNEW IT!"

Eileen ignored his venomous taunts and charged with a shout of effort, swinging her blades. Alfred blocked with his gauntlet, but the blade managed to slice through the skin of his palm, fresh blood pouring from the wound. Eileen was stunned for a split second and recoiled, but Alfred kicked her in the midsection.

"I'm bleeding!" Alfred screamed, voice filled with rage and disbelief. "HOW DARE YOU!"

Eileen quickly rolled when his saw came swinging down. Again and again before leaping to her feet and swinging her swords. One blade tip sliced through his cheek, sending a spray of blood through the air. Alfred shrieked with pain and rage and clutched his face.

Adella and Henryk watched the two fighting with tense silence. Henryk clearly wanted to intervene for Eileen's safety, but she was determined to fight him herself.

Eileen was backed away by Alfred's saw, closer and closer toward the edge of the roof. She glanced over her shoulder once, then snarled and struggled to push back.

"Eileen!" Henryk shouted, moving now.

He rushed, but in that moment, Alfred shoved his saw and Eileen caught the end of the weapon with hers, mere moments as she stumbled over the edge and plummeted.

Adella screamed her name with anguish and horror, just as Alfred turned to them with a wide grin.

"I consider it a high honor to end you," he whispered, breath shaking out of him like a storm. His cheek was soaked and the blood had begun trickling down the length of his chin and neck. "Now that she's gone, I trust you'll bend just as easily."

He started forward and Henryk stepped between him and Adella. The sound of an angry snarl filled the air, but Alfred didn't seem to notice it. Henryk did and he smirked now at him.

"I think you should look again, Executioner." he said, gesturing beyond him.

Alfred frowned now and behind him, a vast shape jumped high, landing on the roof with a deep, furious snarl. It was Eileen, now fully transformed and towering over him with bright blue eyes glowing. He turned, faced her and his eyes widened with a horrified scream.

"Monster!" he shrieked. "BEAST! FILTHY ABOMINATION!"

Eileen's eyes narrowed and she gave a loud, thunderous roar, her claws swiping. Alfred had been so stunned by the sight of her condition that he took the full brunt of the attack, tumbling across the roof and falling toward the edge. He scrambled for purchase and grunted, spotting Eileen's pistol lying just within reach.

Eileen followed the direction of his eyes, bared her teeth and kicked the pistol out of his reach with her clawed feet. Advancing slowly on him she raised her claws, ready to end him, but paused and looked toward Adella and Henryk when she sensed their stares. The nun watched the sight with a mixture of fright and anguish.

Eileen's ears flattened against her head and she suddenly looked unsettled by the stare on Adella's face. While she was distracted, Alfred reached into his boot for a knife and plunged it into her ankle.

Eileen tossed her head with a loud, piercing scream of pain. She slashed out with her claws and Alfred tried to avoid them, but ended up losing his grip; he swiped wildly for purchase, his eyes widening before plummeting into the vast chasm below, screaming the entire way.

Eileen snorted gruffly, watching him as he fell. She looked toward Adella, who had begun approaching her when she wasn't prepared for it. She looked away now, eyes closing. Her hand closed over her head to hide her visage from the other woman, but Adella took her enormous hand and gently urged it away.

The sticky fur of Eileen's Beast form smelled so strong, but Adella didn't mind it much now. Eileen's piercing blue eyes were brighter as a Beast and her features looked sad, almost frightened to be looked at in such a way. She feared rejection once again, but Adella smiled gently instead.

"Well, you're still in there," she told her. "My dearest Hunter."

A soft growl answered her. Eileen's eyes relaxed and she leaned a little into Adella's hands. She did not smell fear on her now, but instead, an adoring curiosity. Eileen smiled as much as her Beast form would allow and she savored the exploring touch of Adella's hands.

_My love._

Once they returned back to the castle, Eileen had resumed human form and sought suitable clothes to dress herself in; sleep robes were fine for the time being, though she found them to be a bit garish for her tastes. Adella promised to find something better for her later on.

With the Bloody Crow gone and their long journey having led them here, they decided to spend it resting for a day before continuing on.

Henryk hunted a few rabbits and cooked them over a vast stove in the kitchen. Eileen and Adella sat side-by-side at the table they'd pulled from the corner, playing with a chess board. So far, Adella was attempting to think of the next move to make and occasionally glanced up at Eileen; the Hunter's face was unreadable. She was very good at that when she needed to be.

Adella moved a piece and Eileen smiled a little before taking her piece and sliding it across the board. "Checkmate." she said.

Adella blinked in disbelief. "What?"

Eileen laughed gently. "Would you like me to show you where you went wrong?"

They chatted a bit and Henryk shook his head with a smile as he listened to their conversation in snippets.

"...I didn't even see that..." Adella said, dejectedly.

"Well, it's about seeing every available move, really. Oh, don't pout, love. It's hardly becoming."

"I'm not pouting..."

"Yes, and your lower lip hardly does that when you're happy."

Henryk turned and carried the plate of rabbit meat he'd cooked up for the three of them. They began to eat their meal and discuss what their next plan was once they'd rested up. Eileen hadn't talked about what happened on the rooftop with Alfred and she didn't seem interested in doing so.

Once it was time to sleep, Eileen and Adella took one bedroom while Henryk took the other across the corridor from them. They laid together in the old bed, watching the moon through the stained windows. A fire crackled nearby, warming the pair together.

Eileen was absently stroking her fingers through Adella's hair, relaxing her as she melted in the Hunter's arms. She was still wearing that Gods awful sleep robe that she didn't bother changing out of just yet. She was tired and would do it later.

Adella rubbed a hand along her side. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"Mm, yes," Eileen replied, thoughtfully. "A bit on my mind, perhaps."

"Me as well."

Adella watched the Hunter's face briefly; Eileen was gazing at the fire and the warm glow of it cast a pleasant, soft light on her features. She thought about the Beast she'd transformed into and considered asking her about what had happened with Alfred.

"Eileen?"

"Yes?"

"About what happened on the roof..." Adella hesitated. "You looked at me. You were frightened."

Eileen glanced down at her. "Perhaps. I thought..." Now it was her turn to hesitate. "I thought it would be like it was before. I would kill him the way I had with Micolash. Then I saw you and it brought me back from that horrible razor's edge."

Adella managed a small smile for a second. "I see. In truth, I was troubled about something else. Did you think it would be as it was with me?"

Eileen shut her eyes and a brief flicker of guilt lit her face for a moment.

"Oh, yes, I see..." Adella looked at her sadly.

She shifted a little and sought comfort on top of the older woman, giving her a kiss on her lips. It took Eileen a moment to respond and cup her cheeks gently in two hands. Once they parted, Adella looked down at her, features serious this time.

"Despite all that I've seen from you, I will not run again," she promised. "My Hunter. My dear sweet Hunter, your blood is tainted by the Scourge, there is no denying that. But I have witnessed your capacity for goodness and love." Her cheeks darkened and she lowered her eyes shyly. "And love for me came so wonderfully."

Eileen raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. She smiled a little now. "Yes, well...you make it hard to resist."

Adella giggled a little, suddenly embarrassed. She lowered her head onto Eileen's chest. "Ah, do I?" she asked.

She kissed her again and Eileen's hands explored her back in slow up and down caresses. Adella murmured with content, shivering a little when those hands slipped into the robes she wore. They smoothed a path up her arse and she felt a stab of want between her thighs.

"Hm. Again?" Eileen's voice was smoother now, filled with thunder and smoke. "I can smell it on you. Your lust. You certainly don't make an effort to hide such a thing from me, do you?"

"Oh, yes." Adella's voice was equally as low. "I want to..."

Eileen chuckled a little and felt hands cup her face. Adella's fingers began searching through her sleep clothes for some contact with her skin. Eileen's teeth lightly bit down on Adella's lower lip, perhaps in scolding. Poor dear was eager to receive her tonight. Perhaps there was something even frantic about wanting her. Did she know what was to happen once they reached their target?

_Nothing was certain. Remember that._

"Calm down, love." Eileen said, her voice suddenly husky. "We've no need to rush. We have all night."

She kissed her again and Adella melted into her with a sound of approval. When they parted, a breathless smile lit Adella's face and Eileen mirrored it with one of her own. The friction between them was incredible, their chests rubbing together, teasing their sensitive bodies, but this wasn't enough. Eileen needed more and clearly, so did she. She needed to feel her skin against hers again.

Her hands begun working to slip the robes from her. Adella assisted in such an affair, reaching down to take the hems and lift; Eileen's was much easier as she wore nothing else beneath the sleep garment and it opened down the front with Adella's assistance.

The nun reached inside and teased her chest. Eileen hissed sharply at the contact. Adella ran a single fingertip over one of her nipples, teasing it to hardness. Eileen squirmed a little, unable to resist her movements.

"Shameless nun!" she hissed out, when Adella kissed her breast gently.

Adella smiled, delighting herself in the reaction. She kissed Eileen's collar bone, then her chest, all the while Eileen shuddered. The Hunter was warm, nearly burning hot as if she suffered fever. She had grown accustomed to her warmth and drew comfort in it.

A gasp escaped her when she felt fingers cup her arse and spread her before brushing against her sensitive cunt. Eileen hissed at the heat and wetness that welcomed her. The nun was already wet and ready for her touch.

"Mmm, already?" she rumbled, raising an eyebrow up at her with an affectionate smile.

"Ah, I can't h-help myself," Adella breathed, quite happy when the Hunter lightly brushed her fingertips against her. "I love it when you touch me."

Eileen made another sound; a low, rich noise that reminded the nun of a purr before she continued to stroke her a few more times, listening to the lovely sounds of Adella's breathless grunts of encouragement.

"Yes...more please!" she pleaded.

Eileen sat up now, slipping an arm around Adella's waist and pulling her tightly to her chest. Her free hand pawed Adella's backside before pulling her down further so that it brought their crotches together. After a few awkward movements, they rocked against one another, finding their rhythm.

Adella cupped Eileen's cheek, staring down into those darkened blue eyes that watched her. A few more kisses between them, subtle rocking and Adella grunted softly, brow pinching with focus as she lost herself in the feelings. They shared a deep kiss of teeth and tongue.

Eileen gasped softly, encouraging her with sweet words in her ear. The nun could barely hear them through the wonderful pleasure that clouded her senses.

"Yes, Adella..." Eileen whispered, in her ear, "Don't stop."

The nun groaned, leaning back a bit on her hands to balance herself and take more control over their movements. Eileen watched her, eyes heavy and breathless whispers of words she could barely make out. It eventually became too much and she leaned back up to put her arms around the Hunter and bury her face in her shoulder. Eileen chuckled softly, holding her close to her with no intent on letting her go.

How precious. The nun was overwhelmed by the feelings. She didn't blame her, really.

"Oh love, it's alright." she soothed, "I have you. Just hold me."

Adella moaned a wounded noise and clutched to her tightly, choking out a plea for more before they began to ride one another faster.

It didn't take much longer before Adella stiffened, crying out a wounded sound in Eileen's shoulder. The Hunter guided her hips in a few more movements before she too fell over the edge with a muffled grunt in her shoulder as well. The pair uttered several more cries and gasps, clutching one another as they took a few minutes of collecting themselves.

Eileen finally pulled back a little, smiling down at Adella and cupping her cheek for a gentle kiss. The nun shook a little, responding in kind before Eileen guided her back down to lay in the bed.

Adella wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. She stroked her hands up and down Eileen's back, feeling the rough patches of her scars in her touches.

"My dear, sweet Hunter..." she murmured, leaning her cheek in Eileen's hair.

Eileen murmured with content. "My lovely, dearest little nun." she responded, chuckling softly.

The pair enjoyed the comfort of each other's bodies intertwined in the sheets before falling asleep. Gods knew they needed it after today.


	8. VIII

~O~

Adella couldn't sleep.

She climbed out of bed and dressed herself before leaving the bedchambers. Her head had begun throbbing and she rubbed her temples with two hands before making her way toward a window that overlooked another portion of the castle.

She saw another flash of memory pass her.

Images and sights of the Cainhurst nobles running and screaming from Executioners. Adella saw the images play out before her as if they were happening at that very moment.

A flash in her head.

_Several nobles were standing on the edge of the rooftops. They had been dressed in their finest attire and their faces were calm with acceptance. They stood for a few moments before they simply stepped off, plummeting to their death in the courtyard below._

_"It's better to die by our own hands than by the hands of the Church."_

Adella shut her eyes tightly, shaking her head as she tried to rid herself of the images; it was an unfortunate part of a Blood Saint. You saw things you didn't want to see and memories that had long since passed. She didn't want to speak of it to the other two.

She saw Henryk watching the moon from a balcony at the end of the hall and approached him. He turned, startled only for a moment before he realized that it had just been her.

"Gods, don't frighten me like that," he said, evenly. "I thought you were a monster."

Adella laughed slightly. "Forgive me."

"It's all right," Henryk replied. He furrowed his brow now. "What's the matter? Having a hard time sleeping?"

"Yes." Adella walked up and stood beside him. "I...had a frightening dream. I thought it would be nice to talk to you about something that has been troubling me as of late."

"Oh?"

Eileen had shifted a little in the bed before she awoke. She noticed Adella wasn't there beside her and she frowned, confused. She looked around before her sharp ears caught the sound of Adella and Henryk talking together down the hallway. She sat up and tilted her head to hear better.

"...Oh, is she yours?"

"Yes, she's waiting for me in my village. Once the Hunt is finished, I will return to her and my two children."

Adella laughed softly. "They're lovely."

There was a moment of silence between them and Eileen contemplated going out into the hall to join their conversation, but felt as if she shouldn't. This seemed like a personal conversation that she felt didn't involve her. Adella needed her time to talk with him, perhaps.

"I understand that nothing is ever certain," Adella said, hesitantly. "But I entertained ideas that once your quest for killing your mark is over then..."

Henryk read her gaze as she was unable to finish her words. He understood now what she was trying to say.

"You want more." he confirmed.

Eileen blinked once. Twice. She wished she could see Adella's face while the agonizing seconds tick by in silence. She felt herself unable to breathe as she awaited Adella's response.

Adella looked embarrassed now. "Yes. And I feel foolish for wanting these things..." she said, sadly. "What could a great Hunter want of me?"

Henryk sighed sympathetically. "Adella..."

"It's true, I can offer little for her and I am a fool for believing that she may want more with me."

Henryk shook his head. "Eileen doesn't attach herself to others so easily, you understand," he assured her, "If you were to tell her how you feel, you may be surprised by the answer."

"Or wounded by it..."

Eileen furrowed her brow sadly. Was Adella truly that worried about what she would think? Well, she had no place to argue with her either; after all, she'd hidden her Beasthood from her in fear of rejection and look what had happened then with them. But even so, Adella had embraced her after a time.

"Would you accept her knowing what she is?" Henryk question, intriguing Eileen now. "Even if she may one day lose control of herself and be hunted like the other Beasts?"

Adella nodded her head with firm resolve. "I don't want to expect such a result. The idea of her killed hurts me to think about, but nor will I want her to experience such a thing alone. I find myself wishing we could leave Yharnam together and forget this horrible quest for vengeance, but I understand that she must do it."

Henryk listened to her in silence. He noticed Eileen had dressed herself and walked toward them, making not a single noise. She looked utterly moved by Adella's words. He raised his eyebrows and looked at Adella, smiling a little. The nun had no idea.

"Do you - can you - love her?" he asked.

Adella chuckled shyly, lowering her eyes. "Hunter Henryk, I already do." she admitted. "Gods forgive me, I do. In spite of her blood affliction, her Beastly curse, I do."

"Say it again. This time, with more conviction."

"I love her, Henryk." Adella insisted. "What more can I say? I love her in spite of her Beast, her age, her work and her need of vengeance. And...I know that nothing is ever certain, but I hope she... I hope she can love me too."

She gave a start when she felt arms wrap around her and Eileen's face buried itself in her neck. A breathless shudder of emotion escaped the Hunter and Adella could not comprehend how she hadn't seen or heard her approach. Her cheeks reddened in shock and she looked at Henryk in disbelief.

"You knew she was there!" she exclaimed.

Henryk winked at her with a chuckle. "I did." he laughed. Off of her stare of shock, he tilted his head in Eileen's direction. "She has the ears of a Beast, remember?"

Adella looked back at Eileen and turned to properly face her. Eileen's features were a mixture of pleasant surprise and emotion. She cupped Adella's cheeks and studied her with all the wonder of a woman seeking the answers to the universe.

"Do you really mean that, Adella?" she asked.

Adella lowered her eyes, suddenly vulnerable in her gaze. "I-I understand that I'm being such a fool for even considering entertaining such a - "

She didn't get to finish as Eileen's lips came down upon hers. Henryk chuckled and shook his head, happy with the pair. They shared a long, yet chaste kiss for a few moments before Eileen parted and smiled down at her. Adella raised her eyebrows and held the hands on her cheeks.

"If you are such a fool than I am no less one." Eileen murmured, laughing softly.

"Do you mean...?"

"You are right; nothing is ever certain, but should our paths change for the better, I would take you home with me." Eileen promised her. "My village will welcome you with open arms, so you need not worry about that. We will have our rest and you will...stay?"

Adella brightened. "I will stay."

O

Henryk and Eileen were training in the courtyard.

Adella had been searching for suitable armor for Eileen to wear and the Hunter had clothed herself in servant's attire for the time being. But she took a break and found the two Hunters with their weapons locked.

Eileen loathed the Cainthurst noble clothes and refused to wear them. She swore she would fight naked if she had to before dressing in their attire.

"You HAVE fought naked before," Henryk quipped, "I know. I've seen it."

Eileen rolled her eyes as she blocked a swing of his weapon with her own. "That was hardly my fault, Henryk." she shot back. "I was bathing and the thieves caught me off guard."

Adella laughed and shook her head, blushing at the thought of Eileen swinging her swords absolutely naked as the day she had been born.

"Oh my!" she said, giggling behind her hand.

"It certainly gave them plenty to remember." Henryk laughed.

Eileen swept his feet while he'd been distracted and he fell flat to his back with a sharp grunt. Adella's hand shot to her mouth and she stifled another fit of laughter as Eileen loomed over Henryk with a smirk and a tilt of her head. Henryk winced and laughed now.

"You're such an idiot, Henryk." Eileen joked.

"I'm making progress then. I used to be a fool."

Eileen helped him stand by taking his hand. Adella gestured behind her.

"If you may, I've found a door I can't open. I believe it may be storage," she told them. "Would you help me?"

"Of course." Eileen followed her inside and Henryk eventually joined.

The two followed Adella down a hallway and she stopped in front of a door that had been locked with an enormous padlock. Henryk glanced at Adella.

"I'll make short work of it." he told her.

He slipped his ax handle between the door and frame, pulling back with a hard grunt. The lock finally snapped free and a rush of dust welcomed them. Inside were various shelves, chests and other objects that had been thrown into the room. It was much larger than Adella was used to seeing.

"My, look at all of this." she said, walking up to a chest. "I wonder what we'll find here."

Henryk touched a rolled up tarp and a puff of dust from the movement hit him in the face. He coughed and waved a hand in front of him. Adella found a chest and opened it, coming up with old books. Murmuring curiously, she picked one up and turned it in her hands for study.

Eileen noticed racks of armor against the walls. None of this suited her in any way. She sighed and looked back at the other two.

"I'm beginning to fear that I may be fighting in this." she muttered, displeased.

"Eileen." Henryk's voice filled with concern.

The older Hunter turned and noticed he'd opened a larger chest. She approached him and her features smoothed out in horror at the sight of Crowfeather garb lying in the container. Adella made her way over and her eyes widened. She didn't know what to say.

Eileen bent down and took the coat in her hands. Her thumbs stroked the material as she studied it; a few bullet holes littered the sides and arms, stained with dried blood. The feathers were older and the overall design was somewhat different from what she had worn today, but she would never forget this.

"This...belonged to my friend..." she gasped, her voice and hands shaking.

Adella looked at her, shocked. "What? Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes," Eileen told her. "The smell is almost faded, but I don't forget it." She tilted her head with a sorrowful smile. "I trained him myself, you know. He looked up to me as his damned hero." A weak laugh. "The bloody fool faced the Crow and he was shot down. I tried to get to him, but it was too late. The Crow laughed that disgusting, despicable laugh and cut him down in front of me and I... I couldn't..."

Adella sat down beside her and put an arm around the older woman. She didn't know what to say. Henryk did the same after a few moments. Eileen brought it to her face and she took a deep, almost too loud inhale before her shoulders began to shake.

It took only a few seconds for Adella and Henryk to realize that Eileen was crying. It was such a rare thing to see, but one that she very clearly needed. Adella held onto her tightly as Eileen continued to weep into the coat.

"He will be avenged..." Henryk assured her, his words soothing.

O

The coat fit her.

Adella said nothing on Eileen's choice to wear the robes of her fallen friend; Eileen was determined to use them in her fight with the Bloody Crow. It would be fitting justice on what he had done to her and her village of innocents. She didn't blame her.

Once they were in the foyer, Adella paused when she saw a flash of images fill her head again. She hesitantly looked toward the grand chandelier and saw an image of a woman hanging by it with a noose around her neck. She had been twitching while an Executioner clutched the rope, mocking her.

_"All of them are tainted! All of them!"_

_"She was a simple farm girl. She tended to their horses..."_

_"No! We do not chance it with Cainhurst and their grubby, mundane creed!"_

_"If you say so. Just put the poor thing out of her misery, for God's sake."_

Eileen walked up to Adella, who remained frozen where she stood. "I have a suitable mask and I've been brewing up spices," she said, failing to notice the nun hadn't been listening to her. "We will be leaving shortly and... Adella?"

She stopped when she noticed the nun's fixed stare on the chandelier. The fright on Adella's face concerned her and she walked up, placing a hand on her shoulder. It caused her to jump with a startled gasp and look at the Hunter. Eileen frowned, worried.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Adella glanced weakly toward the chandelier. "Don't move!" she whispered, unsettled. "There's something there!"

Eileen looked in the direction she stared and saw nothing.

"I see their faces..." Adella moaned, shaking her head slowly. "A-A Blood Saint can see things sometimes. I see the worst that happened. The woman was hanged by the Executioners. She was a simple farm girl. She tended to their horses. She was not tainted like the others."

Eileen understood now. "Yes, I know." she replied evenly. "I understand that there are few saints of the Church with elevated sight. How long have you been seeing these things?"

Adella shuddered with grief. "Since I was first indoctrinated."

"Has it gotten worse?" Eileen wanted to know.

"I only see things in places of great suffering." Adella explained, shaking her head rapidly now. She didn't want to trouble her Hunter. "I...cannot say if it gets worse, but..." She caught Eileen's look and smiled reassuringly. "Oh! Oh, don't be troubled by me. You have other matters to worry over."

"Adella, if it's getting worse, you need to tell me." Eileen said, firmly. "We are together in this, remember?"

"I understand." Adella nodded her head. "I should have told you, forgive me."

Eileen didn't argue with her further. Instead, she put an arm around the nun's shoulders and ushered her from the chandelier.

"Let's leave this Gods-forsaken place..."

Adella nodded in agreement. "Yes. Let's."

O

The trip from Cainhurst Castle took an entire day and the trio stopped in the forest for something to eat. Adella searched for suitable berries and other things she thought would be good while Eileen hunted for meat. Henryk stood guard at their campsite.

"Well..." Adella said, returning to the fire with a handful of berries in hand. "I did what I could with what was near. I do hope Eileen returns with something better than I did."

Henryk looked up when he heard rustling in the trees. He drew his weapon and relaxed when he saw Eileen step through, dragging what looked like a pig behind her. She raised one hand.

"It's only me." she assured them. "I have something to eat."

The two relaxed and helped Eileen bring the pig carcass over toward their fire. Adella watched the two Hunters work at cutting it up for roasting and found herself hungrier than she'd ever been. Once they had a good hunk of pig's meat on a stick, Adella stared ruefully down at the berries she'd collected.

"Not very much for the three of us, I fear," she said.

"Oh, that's all right." Eileen replied. "There's plenty of pig."

The three ate their meal together in silence. It was only when Adella rubbed her temples that Eileen glanced over at her, brow knotting. Adella caught the look and laughed softly.

"It's fine." she assured her. "Just a little headache."

Her eyes hesitantly glanced toward a tree for a moment where she saw the hallucination of a farm man who had been strung up on a tree, disemboweled with his features caught between Beast and human. He grinned at her.

_"Look at what your church does."_

Adella made an effort to ignore it.

Henryk watched them interact and he chewed a little of his meal. Eileen sighed, shook her head and dabbed a bit of meat that had been left on Adella's lip. He smiled a little, then cast his gaze toward the moon.

Nothing was certain, but he'd hoped that the pair would survive the hunt.

Once they were full, they continued their trek through the forest and stopped in front of a rushing river. Eileen glanced around and noticed a bridge nearby. She gestured for the other two to follow her and once they approached, they groaned collectively.

The bridge was barely there; the wood had rotted away with age and had been ensnared in vines. Eileen started toward the bridge and Henryk followed.

"Are we sure there is no other way?" he asked.

"There is not time." Eileen told him. "Every moment we waste, he slips further from us. Come along, just walk carefully."

Henryk was the first one to make the attempt once Eileen found her way on the other side. He moved slowly, heels sliding across the damp wood. Adella watched him nervously, then glanced down at the rushing water. It must have rained when they were in the Nightmare. The water wasn't here before.

"Adella, come."

Eileen snapped her out of her thoughts. The Hunter held out one hand for her, but Adella didn't move. She was too frightened.

"I...I can't." she stammered, glancing warily down at the water.

"It's all right," Eileen assured her. "Just walk slowly and I'll grab you once you're close."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, love. I'm sure. Don't worry. I'm right here. It's not far. You can do it."

Adella glanced at the ground she stood, then to the bridge. It was a distance to her, but not quite so bad. Maybe if she took it slowly and didn't look at the water.

"Alright, I will," she said, with a hesitant laugh, "I can do it."

She carefully stepped onto the wood and gripped the railing, slowly stepping her way toward Eileen and Henryk. Both Hunters encouraged her as she moved, assuring her that it would be fine. Adella's robes caught the end of a piece of wood and she stopped for a moment, glancing down at the water.

"Adella?" Eileen sounded worried now, noticing the way the nun seemed transfixed by the water.

Adella furrowed her brow, squinting into the rushing water.

A flash filled her head again.

A screaming, blood-soaked man reaching up to grab her.

Adella screamed now, stumbling back. Her robes were caught and she spun, just as Eileen lunged forward to grab her. She missed the nun, swiping at air as the woman plunged into the water and was sent downstream.

"ADELLA!" Eileen shouted.

The nun thrashed wildly, struggling to keep her head above the water as she was carried down the river. She could barely make out the sight of Henryk and Eileen running along the bank, trying to keep up with her. Eileen yelled something she could hardly hear over the water rushing in her ears.

_I'm drowning. Oh Gods, I'm drowning._

"Adella! Keep your head above the water!" Eileen shouted, "I'm going to get to you, I promise!"

Adella struggled to find purchase, but all she caught were slippery rock surfaces. Eileen rushed ahead and Henryk grabbed a branch, reaching out to Adella with it.

"GRAB THE BRANCH!" he cried.

Adella attempted to grasp it, but her fingers slipped and she cried out helplessly. She was being swept away by the water, toward a nearby fall. Eileen was at the end, reaching out with her hand as far as she could. Adella was getting closer to plummeting to the depths below.

"Adella, quick!" she shouted, her voice high with desperation. "Take my hand!"

Adella scrambled to grab Eileen's hand and she almost had a good grip; but the water, combined with her panicked thrashing had her slipping right out of Eileen's reach and plummeting down the waterfall, screaming the entire way.

Eileen screamed her name and it echoed through the forest for miles.

O

The Hunter hadn't moved from her spot.

Even after they spent time searching for Adella, they found no trace of the nun and took a rest by the fire. Eileen hadn't spoken since it happened and simply watched the fire gravely.

"Eileen?" Henryk was worried about her silence. "Eileen, please, say something."

Eileen took a deep, shuddering breath. "I could have saved her..."

Henryk didn't know how to respond in a way that would help her feel better. He sighed, lowered his head and stared at the fire.

"We don't know that she's dead." he pointed out. "Could you...smell her?"

"No." Eileen shook her head. "There's too many smells around. Too much water...too much death."

"She may still be alive." Henryk continued to assure her.

Meanwhile, Adella had been laying on the edge of the river, unconscious. She mumbled weakly, coughing out water a few times before her eyes fluttered open. She was surprised to see a small bird watching her, pecking a little bit at the leaves in her hair.

Adella moaned and shooed the animal away before struggling to climb to her feet. She felt pain in her head, but amazingly enough, she had no other wounds from the fall.

She gasped then, remembering Eileen and Henryk. They were surely worried for her. She had to find them and quickly, but she had no idea how far she'd drifted away. She would have to tread carefully as she searched for them.

Adella started forward, making her way into an abandoned village. She saw no signs of life around her, so that was probably for the best, given the circumstances. All she wanted to do was avoid a situation and find Eileen and Henryk.

_They abandoned you._

Adella shook her head rapidly, ignoring the whispering doubts in her mind.

_They're happy you're gone. One less dead weight to carry around. Hehe._

"I'm not listening." Adella murmured, hands going to her ears. She leaned against a ruined house, shaking her head against the voices. "I won't listen."

She saw two bloodied shapes standing in the middle of the makeshift road. They looked to have been ripped apart by beasts; their shades were permanently frozen in their final hours with slash marks across their faces and bites in their chests.

_Hmm, we know you can see us._

_Look at us. Look at what your precious Church allows to happen._

"No, I won't." Adella refused.

The shades chuckled, glancing at one another.

_Poor thing's going mad, she is._

_Bloody sad, isn't it? It happens to us all eventually._

Adella refused to acknowledge it. She wasn't going to go mad, she wouldn't let herself.

She looked up at the sounds of a whispering voice and realized that it wasn't a result of her mind. She cautiously followed the voice and found a man kneeling in front of a few bloodied corpses. He was wearing a hood over his head, tattered pants and no shirt.

Adella gasped at his bloodied condition and he whirled, frightened.

"Blimey! Don't scare me like that. On a night like this..." he gasped. "I took you for a monster."

He followed her gaze toward the corpses and held out two bloodied hands, laughing nervously. "I know what this looks like, but it wasn't me fault, I swear. Found them stone dead like this."

Adella didn't seem to believe him. "I see." she said, cautious. "I should take my leave, then. My friends will be looking for me."

"Ah!" He smiled now. "Well, perhaps we can help one another."

"Perhaps..." Adella was certainly wary of this. "One of my companions wears a crow-shaped mask. You can't miss her. The other is in yellow Hunter's robes."

The man's smile thinned. "Hunters?"

"Yes. Have you seen them?" Adella asked again. When she read his darkening grimace, she hurried to assure him. "They're not the other Hunters who've fallen from grace. They hunt those types. Not Beasts or anything else. Only what gets in their way."

"Ah," The man seemed happy with that news. "Well, that's different then, isn't it? We can look for your friends. Truth is, I could use the company until I find a safe haven. Not safe out, you see."

"I understand." Adella didn't really want him to follow her. Still, perhaps if he kept a suitable distance, it wouldn't hurt. Perhaps. "Alright."

The man brightened. "Thank you! I'll keep me distance and not step on your toes or anything, you have me word."

"Of course." Adella started walking, "Thank you."

The man studied her with curiosity before he spoke. "Why are you all wet? It's bloody cold out tonight."

"I...went swimming in the river."

"What the devil for?"

Adella sighed and shook her head.

O

Eileen and Henryk continued on their journey in silence.

The Beast scratched behind Eileen's eyes, wanting out to mourn by its teeth and claws. She shuddered and took a deep inhale behind her mask to calm herself. She should have known that Adella would be lost to them in time. She should have never tried to entertain ideas of hope.

She would go on to fight the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst with nothing left to lose.

Meanwhile, Adella and the strange man made their way toward the edge of the forest, calling for Eileen and Henryk together. Adella still didn't trust him, but she found that it was easier looking with someone than by herself. He kept his distance from her, but even so, she was wary.

"...I once explored Loran. It was sadly devoured by the sands long ago," the man went on to talk of his exploits in his youth, to which was quite fascinating the more Adella listened. "Some say it was the use of Blood Healing and others believe it was the Old Blood. No one knows."

He sighed, looked around now.

"Are they still in the forest?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"I hope so." Adella said, worried. "I trust I haven't been separated from them."

_We told you, they abandoned you, didn't we?_

_Haha, she's such a silly girl; blinded by ideas of love and happiness. Such things Yharnam does not offer these days. What a shame._

Adella's hands shot to her ears. "STOP IT."

The man looked at her with surprise. "Stop what?"

Adella stared at him with a gasp before she shook her head and forced a smile on her face. He studied her for a moment and despite his eyes covered, she had a feeling he was still scrutinizing her.

"Hm, going mad, are we?" he joked, with a small laugh.

"N-No. No! Of course not," Adella insisted.

"It's all right," the man replied, with a shrug and a chuckle, "Happens to the best of us. I've seen it with me own eyes - the sanest people are usually the first to go."

"I'm NOT going mad..."

"Yeah, that's what they all say."

"What of you?" Adella asked now, wanting to change the subject. "How have you managed yourself in such a state? You seem as if you haven't eaten much."

The man seemed taken by her concern for his physical appearance. Only for a moment, however; he shook his head with a small sound of amusement.

"Ah, no one takes mind to a bloody waste like me," he told her. "I keep to meself and eat what I can get me hands on. It's how I manage."

Adella frowned, a little sympathetic. "I'm sorry to hear it."

"I'm sorry to speak it, really."

Then, there was a loud collection of shouts and the two looked up, just as several Huntsmen began making their way toward them with torches and pitchforks. The man at Adella's side hissed out a curse and turned, sprinting away. Adella looked in his direction with a cry of protest.

"Wait!" she shouted.

She looked up, crying out as she was overrun by the Huntsmen, grabbed and carried away toward a nearby chapel. She shouted out her protest, pleading with them to let her go.

The man had hidden himself behind a broken farmhouse and watched the sight with a grimace. He bit out a curse, started to go before he scowled in the direction of the farmhouse again.

O

"Let's get the Doctor. He'll want to see her!"

"Oh yes!" A strained laugh. "The blood of a Blood Saint! She's perfect!"

Adella watched the two Huntsmen discuss her fate from inside the tiny room she'd been kept in; a chair where her arms were restrained by leather straps and a glass ceiling overhead. Adella could see some of them didn't look like the infected members of the woods who had been transformed partially into Beasts.

It didn't take long before another man entered the room.

He was wearing an old Hunter top hat on his head, a peculiar eye piece over his right face. He didn't seem to have been wearing anything beneath a bloodied apron and had a belt of tools around his waist. His hair had been completely shaved and he had thick, rippling muscles.

"Good evening!" he greeted, in a strange accent. "How are we doing tonight? Everything comfortable for my new patient?" He squinted at her curiously. "Ah, you're a Blood Saint. Hah! Here I thought they were having me on when they said they found one here in the woods."

Adella squirmed and tried to get as far as she could from him when he leaned closer to study her. "You must be exhausted from all of that running. I know. It's dangerous out there. You can't go running into the woods unarmed. That's just crazy!"

He gave a small, rather high giggle, as if he'd said something absolutely hilarious. Adella recoiled when he stepped back to gather a few tools.

"Who are you?" she asked, hesitantly.

The Doctor stepped back toward a table and studied a syringe. "I'm just an old doctor here to do the public a good service." he explained. "Which is where YOU come in. Imagine my JOY when I heard a fresh Blood Saint was here! In my little side of town! So many new experiments...so little time."

Adella was frightened now. "Y-You need my blood?" she stammered. "Please, you don't have to do this! I can give you what you need if you require it. There's no need to tie me up."

The Doctor took a deep inhale. "Ahh, I love the mountain air up here at night." he said, as if she'd never spoken. He looked back at her with a wide smile. "You want to head out, take a stroll? Go ahead, I'll wait here."

Outside, the man who had accompanied Adella crept his way closer to the farmhouse. He looked around for signs of others before he spotted the two Huntsman, standing guard by the door.

"...I'm saying, the Gods freed me from that cell."

"Are you saying divine intervention had that door open for you?"

"Yeah. Don't look at me like that. It's true."

"It was the bloody drink with you. It always is."

"I wasn't drunk...that time."

The man noticed the incense that the pair had burning near them and he bared his teeth with a growl in his throat. He could hear Adella inside, still pleading for mercy from the Doctor. He glanced up toward the glass roof, then to another nearby mountain cliff. Then, back to the two men.

He had an idea.

Inside, Adella continued to beg the Doctor as he readied a syringe in his hands.

"I want ALL of your blood," the Doctor told her, with a greedy hiss as he injected the needle into her wrist. She gave a cry of pain, but he ignored it. "Shhh, you're not putting it to good use, anyway. Truth be told, I was just tired of digging it out of farm girls."

Adella squeezed her eyes shut with a whimper, then watched as he pulled out a single vial of her blood. He held it up to a nearby lamp with a happy sound.

"Ahhh, there it is," he said, with a chuckle, "Perfect amount for my first test. I have..." He glanced down at a piece of paper on a table. "Oh! Thirty seven! Perfect."

The nun moaned and shook her head, begging him. Tears of pain stung her eyes.

"You know, I'm a bit worried how much time you've spend at the church, you Blood Saints," the Doctor continued, shaking his head with dismay. "Don't let those holier-than-thou preachers confuse you with their ideas that we're the enemies here. We're simply searching for elevated ways of life. You understand."

He sighed, studied her bonds with a few tugs before he tied them tighter.

"No offense to those fellows up on high, but you have to wonder if they might just be a little bit... crazy." A small laugh from the Doctor. "It's understandable, you know; around the time of the Hunt, people will get scared, they will turn to the Church if they feel it'll save them. But the truth is, the Church failed us long ago. We're on to more concrete faith now."

Adella didn't understand what he was talking about. She didn't want to know what he meant. She had a suspicion it involved the Beasts, but she wouldn't ask.

"Please..." she pleaded, knowing it fell on deaf ears. "Let me go."

"Oh! I will!" the Doctor promised. "Once I'm done with you."

Just then, the smell of electricity filled the air; it was pungent, nearly suffocating. The Doctor and Adella looked up before they heard a deep, menacing snarl come from somewhere outside. There was a crack, followed by the tearing of cloth and then, screams of pain.

_"Oh, you are a sick puppy!"_ came an unholy, utterly frighteningly deep voice that filled Adella's heart with ice, _"You drink the blood of half the town, and now this! And you talk of beasts?"_

The Doctor scowled and made his way out of the room. He gave a shout of disbelief and Adella couldn't hear much of what was going on.

There was a sound of snarls, followed by blood-curdling screams from the Doctor and then tearing sounds. Finally, dead silence for too long passed.

Adella wasn't sure what else to expect, but she didn't anticipate seeing the man she'd met from before rush into the room, covered in fresh blood and there to help her.

"Ah!" he gasped, breathless, "There you are! Thought we'd lost you, yeah?"

Adella looked stunned, watching as he picked up a knife from the nearby table and cut at her restraints. Then, she frowned angrily.

"You! You ran away!" she snapped, finding strength in her voice. "Why did you run away? I thought we were in this together!"

"Right..." The man chuckled awkwardly now. "Forgive me, love. I just... Been running all me life and, well, you were kind to me and I had to come back for you."

Adella sighed. "You are brave and I should be appreciative regardless." She stood up, studied his condition and her eyes widened. "Are you hurt?"

"Oh!" He glanced down with a small laugh. "Bit of a blunder, really. I heard a scream, came right over but they were all ripped up and I ran inside to help you, but tripped over the damned corpse."

Adella managed to laugh weakly, but the thought was still gruesome enough to witness.

"Let's go then," the man told her, already turning to leave, "Might attract more of them. We can find your Hunter friends and go our separate ways then."

Adella nodded her head in agreement.

Yet she couldn't forget the unholy voice she'd heard moments before the men were killed. As they walked outside, she dared to glance at what remained of them; ripped apart with their innards strewn about across the grass, their faces locked open in permanent agony and horror.

She raised a hand to her mouth and tore her eyes away from the sight.

"Not a pretty sight," the man remarked, with a small chuckle.

Adella made a face.

She could still smell electricity in the air.


	9. IX

~O~

The man helped Adella climb up a rock.

"There we are," he said, once she was on suitable ground. "Right, so..."

He glanced down and spotted a set of tracks. Tilting his head curiously, he knelt down and ran his fingers over them. Adella watched him for a few moments in silence before she spoke.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Hm, you said they were passing here, right?" he asked.

"Yes," Adella said, hopefully.

"No one's come through this part of the woods in some time. This has to be them."

Adella sighed in relief. "Oh! Merciful Gods, that's wonderful to hear!"

The pair made their way through the woods and Adella cupped her mouth, calling for Eileen and Henryk. The man did the same and all they could hear were the sounds of birds and other animals. Fortunately, nothing very threatening seemed drawn to their calls.

_They abandoned you, Adella. Just accept it._

Adella moaned softly, leaned against a nearby tree and slowly slumped to the ground. The man stared at her and shook his head.

"Hey, what are you doing sitting on the ground?" he asked, "We should keep moving."

"They abandoned me..." Adella quietly wept in her hands. "It's true, they left me alone."

The man tilted his head. "What? How do you know?"

"I-I don't, but they're not here," Adella rubbed her eyes with two hands and sniffled. "I see that it's true. I've been left to die here. I should have known."

The man sighed, shook his head and sat down beside her. "I don't know about that. We can't stop looking, right? I know you got those whispers in your head, telling you lies and such. You can't listen to them, you hear?"

Adella blinked, staring at him in surprise. "You know?"

"Heh, I know a daft one when I see her," he remarked. "Bloody Church Saints know a thing or two about seeing ghosts. I seen it with me own eyes once in me life. Trick is not to let it take you down. Find an anchor."

"Anchor." Adella frowned thoughtfully.

"Right. Like, something to keep you sane."

Adella sniffled, wiped her nose on her robe sleeve and smiled at him, feeling a little better. That certainly made enough sense to her. "What's your name?" she asked. "I... Forgive me, I never asked."

"Izzy."

"Adella."

"Well, nice to meet you, Adella." Izzy said, with a smile. He slapped his thighs once and rose. "Alright, enough of this dreary sort of talk. What do you say we keep looking for your friends, yeah?"

A small laugh. "Yeah."

Meanwhile, Eileen and Henryk had continued through the woods and almost made it to the edge before Eileen froze where she stood. She quickly looked over her shoulder with a start and Henryk glanced back at her when he noticed she was no longer following him.

"Eileen?" he said. "What is it?"

She was rushing back through the woods now and Henryk made an effort to keep up with her. Adella continued to call her name from somewhere and it spurred her on to find the nun. She KNEW it was her. She couldn't believe she was actually alive.

"Adella!" she shouted.

Adella reacted with a startled gasp and she looked around sharply in the direction of the older woman's voice. Izzy turned his head toward it as well.

"Am I right when I ask if that's her?" he asked her.

Adella grinned happily and nodded, rushing toward Eileen's voice. Izzy followed behind her and they continued calling one another.

Rushing over roots, ducking beneath branches and leaping over bushes; the two women finally ran into one another in a full-on embrace that knocked Eileen over to the ground. They were so happy to see one another, it was almost embarrassing.

Henryk and Izzy finally caught up with the two and watched as Eileen removed her mask to kiss Adella frantically. The nun was certainly responsive in the same way.

"Love..." Eileen shuddered, "My love..."

Adella laughed, overjoyed. "I found you. They told me you'd abandoned me, but I knew it was a lie."

"They?"

Adella hesitantly reached up with one finger and tapped her temple, saying nothing more. Eileen understood and cupped the back of her neck, kissing her again.

"I'm happy to see you well. Who brought you back to us?" she asked.

Adella sat up and helped Eileen stand. The three looked toward Izzy and he suddenly seemed tense now, regarding Eileen with a mixture of awe and shock.

"Ah, I see you're like me," he mused, with a chuckle.

Eileen scowled now. "You're afflicted."

"Well, I suppose it takes a Beast to know one, eh?" Izzy laughed.

Adella looked stunned by this confession and Izzy regarded her now.

"I'm amazed you didn't catch on sooner. But you probably had more on your mind. Like getting back to your cradle-robber."

Eileen visibly tensed and glared at him with a show of her teeth.

Henryk reached for his ax and Adella raised one hand. "No, Henryk. He hasn't harmed me." she told him. She regarded Izzy with unease for the moment. "I was captured and taken by Huntsmen. A doctor wanted to use my blood, but Izzy came and saved my life."

Eileen regarded Izzy suspiciously. "You saved her. Why?"

Izzy chuckled and shrugged his shoulders. "A favor for a favor, I suppose." he explained. "Alright, so I saved the nun to help meself. You'd do the same if Hunters were after your bloody backside all the time. I thought if I helped her, you'd help me."

Adella looked disappointed, but certainly not surprised; Izzy turned his head in her direction. "Sorry about it, love. When you're like me, you have to take your opportunities when they're handed to you."

"What do you want?" Henryk asked.

Izzy smiled. "Your word that you'll keep those mad Hunters from me."

"We're not here to be your protection," Eileen snapped, "We have other matters to attend to. Your concerns are not our problem."

They started to depart - Eileen retrieved her mask and fit it over her face - and Adella glanced over her shoulder briefly at Izzy before she looked up at Eileen.

"Please," she told her, "He saved my life. It seems ill of us to simply abandon him in such a state."

"He did it for himself."

"I would not have been able to find you if not for him." Adella argued gently. "I understand he did it for himself, but if you had been him, wouldn't you?"

Eileen hesitated for a moment. She sighed now, tilted her head up before looking at Adella. "What are we expected to do, then?"

"He could help us. Find the Bloody Crow, perhaps?"

"No, this is MY score to settle."

Adella clutched her tightly now.

Eileen felt the grip on her and looked down. She ignored the look on Henryk's face and the shake of his head from Izzy. "It's inevitable, Adella. You understand."

"I do..."

She didn't.

Henryk wandered ahead and looked beyond them toward the Grand Cathedral. He could make out the conversation only a little as he spotted the familiar shape of the man they hunted for - the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. He was there and now was their chance.

He spoke his next words gravely. The other two stared at him, read the look on his face and somehow, they already knew before he had spoken.

"It's him. He's here." he said.

O

Making their way toward the church had proven far more difficult than the trio had believed. A group of Huntsmen and other crazed madmen had pursued them, snarling and slavering. Izzy had followed them and panted breathlessly. Eileen turned her head in his direction as they ran.

"What are you still doing here?" she spat.

"Bloody hell, I aim to see this through to the end!" Izzy told her, with a laugh of glee. "Plus, I'm fixing to take a shot at those church-thumping fools for some time now!"

He whirled with a grunt and his entire body swelled. The others watched in shock as he began to transform; a crackle of electricity burst around him in wild ribbons.

Adella watched in shock as thick, dark grey fur shot up from his skin, covering him entirely. Dark red spikes in his back crackled and his eyes flashed bright red. He resembled what could have only been a Darkbeast. Henryk froze, clutching his ax.

"Irreverent Izzy!" he exclaimed, in a stunned whisper.

_"The very same!"_ the Beast snarled, with a deep, gleeful laugh in his massive throat. _"Come on then! Let's rip up some of these sick puppies!"_

"Henryk?" Eileen wasn't sure how to handle this situation.

He looked over his shoulder, held up his ax and chuckled. "Finish this, Eileen." he told her, "Don't worry about me. We'll hold them off."

Eileen only hesitated for a moment before she looked at Adella. "Hurry."

The sounds of Henryk's gun firing, Izzy's screeching and ax cleaving through flesh echoed behind them. Adella watched as Henryk's form disappeared out of view when they fled up the flight of stairs leading them to the church. Izzy cackled, claws flashing through the air.

_"Die! Die, die!"_ he shouted, _"You call ME a beast? A Beast!?"_

Adella and Eileen made their way to the top of the Cathedral where they found a figure kneeling before the altar. The shape wore Crowfeather attire, a peculiar mask of Cainhurst's knights and armor beneath the coat. The figure took a deep breath and a smile was in his voice.

"You're here at last." he said. "I had wondered how long it would take."

Adella felt a clenching in Eileen's wrist and she soothingly rubbed it to calm her. The Hunter turned her head in her direction and nodded once before she spoke to the Crow. Yes, she would stay focused.

"It ends tonight, Bloody Crow of Cainhurst. Blood-addled Hunter. You've taken innocent lives. You've shed enough blood." she promised.

The Crow chuckled and turned fully to face her. He watched as Eileen gently ushered Adella out of the way to give them room to fight. The Crow turned his head toward Adella and a malicious chuckle escaped him; she withered beneath his scrutiny.

"A nun of the Healing Church. I haven't taken my share of them recently. Thank you for the offering."

Eileen's fists closed around the handle of her sword, resisting to rend him to bloody pieces. The blade separated into two parts with a loud, metallic screech. The Crow drew out his weapon, a long curled blade; it was an infamous weapon of Cainhurst.

The moon was shining through the stained windows of the church. Blood red.

"Come then. Let us end it!" Eileen shouted.

And she charged with a fierce shout.

Adella could only watch helplessly as the combatants fought.

Blades clashed together, blows were dealt. Eileen and the Crow moved swiftly and quickly; it was like watching a dance being performed. Adella's heart raced at the sight of it; the glory of a Hunter's fight.

She caught his arm when he thrust his sword out at her, but the Crow was quick; he took his free arm, wrapped it around her shoulders and smacked his head into hers. Eileen didn't release him and flipped the man onto his back, but he recovered with a kick to her head.

Eileen dislodged him now, stepping back as he jumped to his feet; his blade sliced through the air and she leaned her head back, narrowly avoiding having the weapon take her mask clean off.

"You fight swiftly for an old Hunter," he said, chuckling in mockery. "Such a pity your dear family did not have the skill as you did."

Eileen uttered a harsh snarl under her breath. The Beast wanted out.

"Eileen! Don't listen to him!" Adella cried, desperately. "He wants to distract you!"

The Crow laughed with pleasure, parrying a swing of Eileen's sword. He kicked her in the ribs, sending her stumbling. She attempted to evade a swing of his blade, but he quickly drew out a pistol and fired. A shot of the gun ripped itself through Eileen's shoulder.

Adella cried out on fright, slapping a hand over her mouth.

Eileen was still moving, despite the bullet having shot through her. She didn't stop. She snarled out in fury, swinging her swords. The Crow performed a graceful spin, evading her before kicking her hard in the stomach. The Hunter came down with a thick, wet groan of agony.

"Now now, this isn't the Hunter I know." he said. "Such rage. Such hate!"

Eileen started to stand, but the Crow kicked her across the face, sending her falling once more. Adella gave a frantic cry.

"Stop it!" she shouted.

The Crow stared at her. Adella withered, not knowing fully why. He wore a mask, so she couldn't see his face. But for some reason, she suddenly felt stripped bare.

"Oh, don't worry. I haven't forgotten you, little nun." he assured her with a cold, malicious chuckle. "When Eileen is nothing more than a bloody sheathe for my blade, you will be next."

He turned to Eileen, kicked her once more in the face. Her mask was sent falling to the floor and his boot came down upon it, shattering it to splinters.

O

Izzy had been lying in a pool of his blood, exhausted from fighting several of the Huntsmen. Henryk leaned against the stairs, wiping his ax on the tattered robes of a dead, Scourge-ridden man. He glanced toward the dying Beast with a small, weak smile.

"Well, never thought I'd see the day I'd fight beside Beasts." he remarked.

Izzy's massive sides heaved. _"Never thought I'd see the day Hunters would embrace me."_

Henryk chuckled a little. "Well, things have changed these past several days." he agreed. He leaned back on the stairs and sighed, closing his eyes. "We should rest for a while..."

_"Yeah...for a while, eh?"_ Izzy gurgled, fresh rivers of blood pouring from his jaws. His glowing red eyes began to dim. _"For a little while..."_

Finally, a sick, final sigh escaped him and he was still. Henryk watched the corpse of the Beast and after a moment, shut his eyes.

How wondrously strange that he'd feel sympathy for this creature.

Meanwhile, the Crow stalked around Eileen, speaking to her as she struggled to rise. "For so long, the Hunters were revered for their worth. But look at you now; you are nothing more but a decrepit memory of a lost village plundered by my appetites. And all that will remain from this is me, to trample across your corpse."

He raised his sword level to her throat and just as he held it high, Eileen started to laugh. She crouched there on the floor, grinning and laughing softly. The sound confused both Adella and the Crow. He lowered his sword slightly, giving her a chuckle of his own.

"Really?" he said. "Finally lost it, have we?"

"No..." Eileen rasped, spitting blood from her mouth once. "It's just..." She looked up at him, her eyes glowing that frightening, beastly blue. "You're such a fool."

The Crow made a surprised sound, backing away once.

"And we're both going to die tonight." Eileen promised.

She rose now, face soaked with her own blood. She gave Adella a look of apology and mouthed "forgive me, love". Adella nodded her head once, knowing that Eileen merely hesitated only to see what she would feel of it. But this had to be done. It had to end.

"Do it." she said.

The Crow could only watch as Eileen stared at the blood moon. Her face suddenly looked feral in the faint glow; streaks of blood, teeth suddenly sharper and eyes glowing.

"You were right about one thing, Bloody Crow of Cainhurst." she said. Her voice began to deepen horrifically into that Beastly tone; fur began to sprout around her neck. "I should have embraced my inner Beast a long time ago."

He backed away, his confident tone shaking in horror. "What? That's not possible!"

Eileen removed her coat, let out a monstrous groan as her body began to swell. The Crow was frozen in place, watching as her hands lengthened into long, dangerous claws. The sick, wet sounds of bones shifting filled the cathedral, groans of effort and snarls. Her face cracked, split and elongated into a muzzle filled with razor teeth and she glowered down at her enemy, giving out a deep, frightening roar.

Her shadow cast itself over the Bloody Crow of Cainhurst, blanketing him almost in darkness. He stepped back and let out a laugh as she stalked toward him.

"Ah! Haha!" he shouted, "The Crow Beast! I should have known! Look at you!"

Eileen's features darkened with a hiss.

The Bloody Crow raised his sword, turned it, then plunged it straight through his abdomen. Adella watched the sight in shock as the sword he held glowed with bright red, dancing flames. Blood weaponry. Such was the way of the Cainhurst warriors.

The glow made Eileen's Beastly features looked twice as frightening. She stared at him, showing her fangs in an eerie snarl.

Finally, she charged with a roar.

O

The sight of Eileen in her monstrous Beast form should have given Adella hope that the Crow would be bested. Somehow, he was keeping up with her charges, slashes of her claws and kicks of her feet. The Crow's transformed blade slashed her side, but her claws slashed a hideous gash across his arm.

He was pushed on by the lust of violence, the spray of blood.

Eileen crouched on all fours, arched her back and the fur at her spine hardened into sharp spikes. She hissed and the fur launched itself at the Crow. He flipped backwards several times, avoiding the attack. One managed to pierce his thigh and he stumbled, glancing down with a hiss of pain.

Adella looked toward Eileen as the Crow was distracted. "I...had no idea you could do that."

Given Eileen's look, clearly she hadn't either.

"So..." the Crow straightened with a grunt. He yanked the spike from his thigh and tossed it to the floor. "You have a few tricks up your sleeve after all. But you should know that I've brought down Beasts much bigger than you and I live to revel in the massacre!"

He charged for her, swinging his blood-drenched sword. Eileen jumped back and seized one of his arm with one monstrous hand. She slammed him roughly to the ground and he grunted sharply in pain. His sword dislodged itself from his hands and clattered to the floor beside Eileen.

Eileen raised her claws overhead, face full of promise. One blow and it would be finished.

The Crow hissed out and twisted his legs, catching the sword quickly. He flipped back, taking the weapon with him and catching it with his free hand before plunging it into Eileen's shoulder.

Her eyes snapped wide in pain and she released him. She reached out with her claws, but the Crow swung his blade up, slicing through her flesh and tearing her arm clean off at the elbow.

The agonized scream that echoed from Eileen's jaws was enough to rattle the windows of the church. Adella watched the sight in horror, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Eileen!" Adella cried, desperately.

Eileen collapsed in a pool of her own blood, panting roughly through her large nostrils. The Crow stepped up to her, smiling in his voice. She was shuddering in pain, great form wracked with terrible spasms. The smell of Scourge-infected blood clouded the air.

"You know, I consider this an honor, Eileen the Crow." he told her, panting heavily behind his mask. "You have been quite the enemy. I will miss you."

Eileen chuckled deeply. Finally, she slapped her good arm down into the puddle of her own blood. It was the first that Adella had heard her speak in this form and it sounded chilling.

_"Me too."_ she snarled.

Suddenly, in an abrupt burst of strength, her jaws clamped down around the Crow's body. He screamed in agony, his sword falling from his hands. Eileen's teeth clamped down harder, her eyes wild and ferocious in all the way a Beast was wont to look.

Adella could only watch as blood sprayed - Eileen's and the Crow's - and her teeth sliced through his body like paper. Finally, when it was over, his half-shredded body fell to the floor in a sickening splat.

Eileen stared down at the body for a moment, panting through her mouth. Blood poured from her teeth and jaws in rivers. She seemed to be struggling with something. Her eyes were bloodshot, almost feral.

"Eileen..." Adella's voice sounded so small in the church.

The Beast looked at her now, grunting heavily. She sounded sick, like those who were only days before being consumed by the Scourge. After a weak grunt, she slowly began to revert back to her human form.

Adella quickly rushed to her side, wrapping her arms around her, despite the horrid mess of blood and gore.

"Adella..." Eileen barely managed her name.

Adella's shaking hands moved to the bloodied stump where Eileen's arm once was. "Oh, Gods..." she moaned, "Your arm... Oh Gods, no..."

Eileen's face looked different this time. She looked like someone trapped between human and Beast. Unlike the Patients, she had a more human look in her appearance. Perhaps she couldn't change back any further. Perhaps this truly was the end.

Her good hand looked inhuman. The nails were longer, far more solid and sharp.

"Help me up, Adella..." Eileen breathed. "Take me outside."

Adella slipped an arm around Eileen's waist, carrying the bloodied, broken Hunter toward the doors.

They took a seat, Adella draping her cloak over Eileen's shaking form. Her eyes occasionally fluttered shut. Her body swayed and Adella held her close. Tears filled her eyes and Eileen just smiled, exhaustion in her voice.

"It's done..." she said, softly.

Adella held her tighter. "It is."

"Thank you, Adella."

"For what?"

"For..." Eileen's eyes fluttered again and she raised one long-nailed hand to the missing place where her arm should be.

Adella caught her as she fell sideways. She gently stroked her hair and they watched as the sun slowly started rising. Eileen laughed weakly. In the dim light, her blue eyes now looked pitch black.

The eyes of a Beast.

"No more Dreams for me," she said. "This is my last chance."

Adella was starting to cry and the sound captured Eileen's attention. She somehow managed to lift her head and raise her good hand to the nun's cheek.

"Oh...don't cry, love..." she said, with a small laugh.

"It's not fair!" Adella moaned, "You told me... We were going to leave here together!"

"I know..."

Eileen tugged a little, urging her closer for a kiss. The last thing she wanted to feel was her lips. The nun granted her that; her kiss was desperate, silently saying her final goodbye to her lover. Eileen parted then, sighing heavily.

"Ahh, my eyes grow heavy..." she mumbled.

She watched the sun rise and smiled. Her teeth were no longer flat, but sharp like her Beast form.

"Mm, here with the one I love at the end..." she said, her voice growing quieter. "I couldn't have asked for a better way to die..."

Adella closed her eyes, biting back a hysterical sob.

The sounds of her sobs reached the great Amygdala perched on a church spire nearby. She inclined her great head toward it, listening to them for the longest time.

"It's not fair... none of it is..."

Eileen gave a final sigh, stilling in her arms. Adella looked down at her and she wasn't able to stop the anguished cry that burst from her. She held Eileen tightly to her, downright sobbing into her lover's hair.

_It wasn't fair._

_None of it was fair._

She looked down at the sight of the knife Eileen had given her still on her belt. Reaching down, she took it and her thumb rubbed the blade. Immediately, she had begun to bleed.

It was sharp.

Good.

Henryk was slowly making his way up the vast flight of stairs before he noticed the condition of Adella and Eileen. He saw the Hunter lying dead and he groaned with anguish, but took little time to mourn when he saw Adella leveling the knife with her heart.

"Adella, no!" he shouted, rushing up to stop her. "Don't do it!"

He tripped a few times, but recovered quickly as he rushed with all his strength to stop the nun. Amygdala observed the sight from her perch, almond-shaped head following his movement.

_Humans are such unusual creations._

Adella shoved the blade through her chest in a single, swift move. It took only a few seconds; a strange look crossed her face, one of peace followed, and then a final choke escaped her lips.

The Amygdala watched as Henryk made his way up the stairway.

She watched as he saw the two lovers lying dead beside each other. Their hands were barely connected, only joined by a slight touch of their fingers.

She watched as he collapsed to his knees, breaking down into sorrowful weeping.

Yes indeed.

Humans were unusual creations to the Great Ones.

To sacrifice one's own life for the sake of joining another in dead.

Henryk fell to his knees, clutching Eileen's tattered robes once before he wept in his hands.

Immediately, he looked up at the sight of Amygdala appearing on the peak of the Grand Cathedral. He stumbled back with a shout and the enormous figure reached out with one long, six-fingered hand to caress the dead women only once, like a mother would her child.

_Their fiends...their children... Curse not the blossom that grows among the grave._

Henryk watched the sight, awestruck. He glanced down at Eileen and Adella's lifeless forms for a moment as Amygdala scooped them up in one hand. Her other hand reached down and she raised a single finger above them, just as it had begun to glow with soft, shimmering blue light.

_Let them find their dream._

O

_The farm was calm._

_Adella sat on the porch that early morning, rocking back and forth on the wooden chair. The stalks of golden wheat stretched as far as she could see. A gentle wind ruffled the beautiful field. She smiled, brightening when she saw a horse approach with Eileen._

_The Hunter smiled and waved at her, wearing farm clothes and carrying a freshly killed boar on the back of the horse. She stepped down, made her way up to the porch where she was greeted by the other woman. They embraced one another and shared a kiss._

_Eileen put an arm around her shoulders and the pair made their way inside the house._


End file.
